由于硅（锂）和锗（锂）探测器都需要在液氮温度下保存和工作，因此人们集中发展了原子序数高的、能在室温下工作的半导体探测器。现在主要研究的室温半导体化合物探测器有砷化镓、碲化镉和碘化汞

[1]

。HgI

2

是七十年代发展起来的一种新型室温核辐射探测器

[2]

。由于它具有很高的原子序数和较大的禁带宽度，因而它的光电吸收截面大、探测效率高、能在常温下工作，体积小，使用方便。它可探测的能量范围较大，但更适合于探测能量在几个keV至150keV的X射线和γ射线。在医学生物学、放射性监测、野外探矿、能谱分析等方面有着广阔的应用前景。HgI

2

是目前半导体化合物中较有发展前途的一种室温核探测器。表1是HgI

2晶

体材料的基本特性。

After the crystals are cleft into plates

they are etched in a 5~10% KI-water solution to eliminate the damages in the cleft surfaces. The etched crystal plates are contacted with "Aquadag" and palladium wires are attached to the contact with carbon paint. Such a detector is encapsulated in a teflon support. Using a HgI

2

detector with active surface of 8 mm

2

and thickness of about 200

µ

m

a bias of 600V

at the temperature of 283°K

with pulse shaping time being 3.2

µ

s and for an uncollimated source

it is shown that the energy resolution (FWHM) of the detector is 1.4keV for 5.9keV of

55

Fe

1.7keV for 22 keV of

109

Cd and 3.62 keV for 59.5 keV of

241

Am respectively. The line width of electronics is 1.1 keV.