Multilayer Radiation Shield for a Photodetector in Space Applications

The impact and protection of space radiation on spacecraft and its internal instruments are concerns in space missions. However, over-protection will increase the cost and difficulty of space launch. It is of great significance to take corresponding protective measures. We observed the effects of long-term ionisation on silicon four-quadrant photodetector through irradiation experiments. In addition, the monolayer and multilayer shielding properties with materials of ALU, Ta and HDPE were calculated by Monte Carlo methods. We found monolayer material cannot provide good shielding results for charged particles of all energy. It is necessary to use multilayer materials to shield different types and energies of charged particles with higher efficiency. Under the condition of the same mass, the combination of various materials will result in different shielding results. Through the simulation analysis, the better shielding effect of some materials with varying thickness components can be estimated. This method provides an effective design idea for photoelectric detection instruments with high sensitivity.