Charge Sharing in (CdZn)Te Pixel Detector Characterized by Laser-Induced Transient Currents

Performance of the (CdZn)Te pixelated detectors heavily relies on the quality of the underlying material. Modern laser-induced transient current technique addresses this problem as a convenient tool for characterizing the associated charge distribution. In this paper, we investigated the charge sharing phenomenon in (CdZn)Te pixel detector as a function of the charge collected on adjacent pixels. The current transients were generated in the defined 4 mm(2) spots using 660 nm laser illumination. Waveforms measured on the pixel of interest and its surroundings were used to build the maps of the collected charge at different biases. The detailed study of the maps allowed us to distinguish the charge sharing region, the region with a defect, and the finest part in terms of the performance part of the pixelated anode. We observed the principal inhomogeneity complicating the assignment of the illuminated spot to the nearest pixel.