Toward Understanding the Spectroscopic Performance and Charge Transport Mechanisms of Methylammonium Lead Tribromide Perovskite X- and γ-Rays Detectors

Organic–inorganic perovskites have shown to be promising materials with great potential for use in radiation detection, in which higher energy photons or heavy charged alpha particles need to be detected. Their superior characteristics, such as relatively high atomic number and larger density, tunable bandgap, high resistivity, and large carrier mobility-lifetime product, provide higher stopping power for X-rays and high detection efficiency, combined with a facile preparation and lower costs. In this study, p-i-n-type devices based on high-resistivity MAPbBr3 single crystals are investigated as detectors of X- and
$\gamma $
-rays. The analysis of current–voltage characteristics and spectrometric properties of the detectors allowed to determine the main parameters of the MAPbBr3 crystal. The voltage-dependent charge transport mechanisms of the investigated p-i-n-type devices can be well described in terms of well-known theoretical models. The obtained electrical performance parameters indicate that the MAPbBr3 single crystals satisfy requirements for radiation detection applications. However, the MAPbBr3 crystal quality as well as the device architecture need optimization to decrease the leakage current and enhance the transport properties of charge carriers and thus to improve the energy resolution of the detectors.