Hexagonal Pad Multichannel Ge X-Ray Spectroscopy Detector Demonstrator: Comprehensive Characterization

One of the major limitations of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) experiment at synchrotron facilities is the performance of the detectors. In order to be able to measure more challenging samples and to cope with the very high photon flux of the current and future (diffraction limited) sources, technological developments of detectors are necessary. This article reports on the construction and characterization of a monolithic 19-channel germanium detector demonstrator fitted with CMOS preamplifiers. The detector was characterized in the laboratory with radioactive sources and with the X-ray synchrotron beam. Characteristics such as energy resolution, linearity, counting rate capabilities, and stability of the detector were thoroughly evaluated. In addition, it was proved that by using an advanced pulse processor such as Xspress4, it was possible to improve the performance of the detector system by eliminating the crosstalk among channels and by suppressing the charge-shared events. This work could pave the way to enhanced germanium fluorescence detectors for high-throughput X-ray spectroscopy.