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Charge-cloud-based micrometer resolution in deep-silicon photon-counting CT
Rickard Brunskog1,2, Mats Persson1,2, Moa Yveborg Tamm1,2
1KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Physics of Medical Imaging, Stockholm, Sweden.
Journal of Medical Imaging (Bellingham, Wash.)
|August 7, 2026
Summary
This study developed a deep-silicon photon-counting sensor for high spatial resolution. Optimized pixel pitch and threshold settings significantly improved tangential and wafer-thickness resolution, enabling advanced imaging applications.
Area of Science:
- Photon-counting sensor development
- Solid-state detector physics
- Image processing and resolution analysis
Background:
- Advancements in monolithic deep-silicon sensors are crucial for high-resolution imaging.
- Optimizing sensor design parameters is key to achieving micrometer-scale spatial resolution.
- Understanding the interplay between pixel pitch, noise, and thresholding is essential for sensor performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of pixel pitch, noise, and threshold configurations on sensor resolution.
- To guide the design of CMOS electronics and monolithic deep-silicon photon-counting sensors.
- To target spatial resolution on the order of 1 micrometer.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Allpix Squared simulations to evaluate various pixel pitches, noise levels, and threshold-placement schemes.
- Employed lookup tables trained on thresholded pixel output for interaction position estimation.
- Quantified sensor performance using Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).
Main Results:
- Decreasing pixel pitch significantly enhanced tangential resolution for Compton interactions.
- Equal-counting thresholds achieved better resolution than equidistant thresholds, with optimal performance around 8-10 thresholds.
- Achieved tangential resolutions ranged from 1284 to 2452 lp/cm for Compton interactions and 409 to 507 lp/cm for photoelectric interactions.
Conclusions:
- Spatial resolution improves with increasing threshold number up to 8-10, with diminishing returns thereafter.
- The developed sensor design shows promise for achieving micrometer-level resolution.
- Results suggest the feasibility of analyzer-free phase-contrast imaging with this sensor technology.
