Transient current induced in thin film diamonds by swift heavy ions

Single crystal diamond is a suitable material for the next generation particle detectors because of the superior electrical properties and the high radiation tolerance. In order to investigate charge transport properties of diamond particle detectors, transient currents generated in diamonds by single swift heavy ions (26 MeV O5+ and 45 MeV Si7+) are investigated. Two dimensional maps of transient currents by single ion hits are also measured. In the case of 50 gm-thick diamond, both the signal height and the collected charge are reduced by the subsequent ion hits and the charge collection time is extended. These results are thought to be attributable to the polarization effect in diamond and it appears only when the transient current is dominated by hole current. In the case of 6 gm-thick diamond membrane, an "island" structure is found in the 2D map of transient currents. Signals in the islands shows different applied bias dependence from signals in other regions, indicating different crystal and/or metal contact quality. Simulation study of transient currents based on the Shockley-Ramo theorem clarifies that accumulation of space charges changes distribution of electric field in diamond and causes the polarization effect.