Thin Film CdZnTe Detector Arrays for Digital Mammography

摘要

The objective of this program was to develop large-area, flat-panel detectors for digital mammography using CdTe or CdZnTe deposited by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) directly on thin-film transistor (TFT) active matrix arrays for image readout. CdTe and CdZnTe have the potential to meet the requirements for digital mammography due to their high x-ray absorption, large bandgap and good carrier transport. After four years of intensive work, we were able to deposit the key detector film on crystalline silicon multiplexors and TFT arrays, maintaining the integrity of underlying electronics in both cases and proving the possibility of the proposed technology. Unfortunately, CdZnTe thin films were never realized with electrical properties equal to bulk grown CdZnTe, and functioning detectors could not be obtained.