Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Ge(Li) Gamma Detectors

Gamma-ray spectrometry has progressed rapidly as a result of the development of lithium-drifted germanium detectors. In both pure nuclear research and in applied spectrometry the excellent resolution and the good detection efficiency of these devices is now fully recognized. This paper describes the fabrication of detectors of different types, such as planar and coaxial, taking into account the practical difficulties such as lithium precipitation, drift failure, and surface leakage current. The instrumentation including preamplifier, amplifier, analysing equipment, and the problems associated with very high resolution spectrometry, are briefly reviewed. The characteristics of different types of detectors, such as energy and time resolution and detection efficiency, are mentioned. A number of applications in analytical and radiochemistry are discussed. These include activation analysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and fission-product studies.