Spectroscopic imaging of x-rays: a new look

In recent hybrid imaging devices a segmented (50-100 mu m) semiconductor sensor matrix is matched to a separate readout chip made in some standard silicon CMOS technology. The large number of contacts are made by high-density bump bonding interconnect technology. Extended functionality with hundreds of transistors in each electronics cell can serve a variety of purposes. Fluctuations in the response of the sensor matrix ran be compensated in real-time. A single photon processing circuit in each pixel can achieve spectroscopic imaging by energy measurement even at high rates. However, it is necessary to take into account the distribution of the signals over adjacent pixels. Another possibility is the discrimination by energy of photon conversions in stacked layers with increasing absorption. (12 refs).