Comparison of allocation algorithms for unambiguous registration of hits in presence of charge sharing in pixel detectors

Charge sharing is the fractional collection of the charge cloud generated in a detector by two or more adjacent pixels. It may lead to excessive or inefficient registration of hits comparing to the number of impinging photons depending on how discrimination thresholds are set in typical photon counting pixel detector. The problems are particularly exposed for fine pixel sizes and/or for thick planar detectors. Presence of charge sharing is one of the limiting factors that discourages decreasing sizes of pixels in photon counting mode X-ray radiation imaging systems. Currently, a few different approaches tackling with the charge sharing problem exist (e.g. Medipix3RX, PIXIE, miniVIPIC or PIX45). The general idea is, first, to reconstruct the entire signal from adjacent pixels and, secondly, to allocate the hit to a single pixel. This paper focuses on the latter part of the process, i.e. on a comparison of how different hit allocation algorithms affect the spatial accuracy and false registration vs. missed hit probability. Different hit allocation algorithms were simulated, including standard photon counting (no full signal reconstruction) and the C8P1 algorithm. Also, a novel approach, based on a detection of patterns, with significantly limited analog signal processing, was proposed and characterized.