Novel Silicon Detectors from the MPI Semiconductor Laboratory

Gerhard Lutz

MPI-Halbleiterlabor, Munich, Germany

Driven by the needs of particle physics and X-ray astronomy silicon detectors 
have been developed at the MPI Semiconductor Laboratory. 
Many of these detectors are based on new concepts, resulting in superior performance 
compared to conventional designs.

A short introduction to semiconductor detectors in general and a description of the 
capabilities of the laboratory will precede the presentation of recently completed 
projects and the present activities aimed at future projects in X-ray astronomy and 
particle physics. 

Of particular interest is the pn-CCD, developed over a period of twelve years and 
operating now very successfully on the space based European XMM/Newton X-ray observatory,
the largest and most powerful X-ray satellite ever launched.
With its large collecting power it is able to look deep into space and to combine excellent 
imaging with good spectroscopy and time resolution. 

The presently planned next European X-ray mission XEUS with orders of magnitude larger 
collecting power will drastically increase the requirements on the focal detector. 
A new kind of pixel detector based on the DEPFET principle is under development. It promises 
further large improvement of performance when compared to the already excellent pn-CCD.

The talk will emphasise the functional principles of these devices, the design and properties 
achieved and will show a few examples of their use in space and on the ground.