Simulation and validation of a planar HPGe detector signal database for use in pulse shape analysis

Due to their excellent spectroscopic capabilities and sensitivity to the position of γ-ray interactions, segmented High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors are frequently used in γ-ray imaging applications. The quality of produced images is heavily dependent on the precision of the identification of interaction position within the detector that can be achieved through segmentation and the application of pulse shape analysis (PSA) techniques. In this work, a simulated database of signals was produced for a HPGe planar detector used in a multi-tiered Compton camera system. The impurity concentration and temperature-dependent mobility parameters of the simulation were optimised and validated by evaluating the pulse-shape response at select positions using experimentally-measured collimated γ-beam data. A grid-search algorithm was developed for analysis of single and double-site γ-ray interactions using signal comparison PSA and is shown to improve the position resolution within the detector.