Development and investigation of the electrophysical and spectrometric characteristics of a p -Si/ n -InP heterostructure radiation detector

Abstract This work presents the development and experimental characterization of semiconductor ionizing-radiation detectors based on p-Si/n-InP heterostructures. The devices were fabricated using a surface-barrier technology employing high-resistivity p-type silicon substrates and thin n-InP layers deposited by vacuum evaporation. Key electrical and radiometric parameters were measured at room temperature, including a dark current of 0.5–1 μA, capacitance in the range of 700–1800 pF, and an energy resolution of 60–65 keV for 7.68 MeV α-particles. The heterojunction demonstrated high sensitivity to low-intensity α-radiation (2³8Pu, 2³9Pu, 2³³U, 226Rn), which is attributed to the wide bandgap of InP (1.34 eV) and its compatibility with silicon-based fabrication processes. The obtained results highlight the potential of p-Si/n-InP structures for advanced applications in nuclear physics, environmental radiation monitoring, and space instrumentation.