Digital radiology using active matrix readout of amorphous selenium: radiation hardness of cadmium selenide thin film transistors

A flat-panel x-ray imaging detector using active matrix readout of amorphous selenium (a-Se) is being investigated for digital radiography and fluoroscopy. The active matrix consists of a two-dimensional array of thin film transistors (TFTs). Radiation penetrating through the a-Se layer will interact with the TFTs and it is important to ensure that radiation induced changes will not affect the operation of the x-ray imaging detector. The methodology of the present work is to investigate the effects of radiation on the characteristic curves of the TFTs using individual TFT samples made with cadmium selenide (CdSe) semiconductor. Four characteristic parameters, i.e., threshold voltage, subthreshold swing, field effect mobility, and leakage current, were examined. This choice of parameters was based on the well established radiation damage mechanisms for crystalline silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), which have a similar principle of operation as CdSe TFTs. It was found that radiation had no measurable effect on the leakage current and the field effect mobility. However, radiation shifted the threshold voltage and increased the subthreshold swing. But even the estimated lifetime dose (50 Gy) of a diagnostic radiation detector will not affect the normal operation of an active matrix x-ray detector made with CdSe TFTs. The mechanisms of the effects of radiation will be discussed and compared with those for MOSFETs and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) TFTs.