ABSTRACT
There are good reasons for the inclusion of a history of semiconductor detectors. It is an established educational approach and thus augments the foregoing chapters. We can see why certain development routes were taken and why others failed. Furthermore, although there have been many previous reviews at different periods (which will be referenced below), these have not generally detailed the significant work that took place within the industrial companies involved, particularly from around 1966 onward. Much of this development took place in competitive circumstances, in different countries, and details were not published. The authors, working not only in x-ray detector manufacturing [Oak Ridge Technical Enterprises Company (ORTEC), Link, OI, e2v] but also on repairs and modifications to most other manufacturer’s detectors, were in the
privileged position of seeing firsthand the progress unfolding over a period of 40 years.
