ABSTRACT
Edge termination is one of the most critical aspects of radiation sensor design. Active edges were first introduced at the Stanford nanofabrication facility (SNF) as an extension of three-dimensional (3D) sensor technology. In 3D detectors, the active edges represent just another vertical electrode, and their different geometry only requires a minor adjustment of the spacing to neighboring electrodes to ensure a uniform electric field distribution. Besides the technologies originally proposed at SNF, active-edge technologies are now available at other processing facilities. Excellent edge-sensitivity results were obtained from the first prototypes of planar active-edge-strip sensors made at SNF using a 12.5 keV X-ray microbeam. The chapter reviews the most important developments in active-edge and slim-edge planar sensors based on microfabrication. Several technological and design solutions have been reported to minimize the insensitive area at the sensor edge. Sensor dicing and related problems are avoided with active edges; moreover, arbitrary edge shapes can be achieved.
