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Development of Large Size and Low Cost Cadmium Zinc Telluride Single Crystals for Improved Room Temperature Radiation Detectors Used for National Security--Yinnel Tech, Inc., 3702 W. Sample Street, Suite 1109, South Bend, IN  46619; 219-234-3488

Dr. Longxia Li, Principal Investigator, yinnel@skyenet.net 

Dr. Longxia Li, Business Official, yinnel@skyenet.net 

DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-00ER83129

Amount:  $750,000

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) is an important material for detectors used for national security.  However, the production of CdZnTe, dominated by the High Pressure Bridgman technique for a decade, has suffered from low-yields (1-4%) and small device sizes (1-3 cm³).  This project will develop an alternative Modified Vertical Bridgman,   CdZnTe crystal growth technique with higher yield and larger-sizes, leading to higher volume detectors which are not available today.  In Phase I, 50 cm³ large-size single CdZnTe crystals were produced with a high yield of over 50%.  The crystals demonstrated an unprecedented mobility-lifetime product for electrons without compromising bulk resistivity.  The pixellated and co-planar grid detectors performed with excellent energy resolutions.  In Phase-II, a 3” diameter growth technique will be developed.  

Commercial Applications and Other Benefit as described by the awardee: These large-size single crystals, coupled with higher yields of CdZnTe single crystals should lower costs and further improve detector performances, especially for high-resolution room temperature radiation detectors with low-cost for national security and nuclear medicine.