A multilayer edge-on silicon microstrip single photon counting detector for digital mammography

A 3-layer edge-on silicon microstrip detector for the SYRMEP/FRONTRAD project has been designed and realised. The image matrix is made by 764 pixels with dimensions 300 (thickness of the single detectors) x 200 (strip pitch) mu m(2). The system has a sensitive area of 50 x mm(2), an inter-layer distance of approximate to 100 mu m and an efficiency of approximate to 80% for 20 keV photons. The image is acquired by scanning the object across the beam cross-section and the overall statistics on the single pixel is obtained by summing up the information of corresponding pixels in the three layers, thereby reducing the effect of possible noisy or not functioning pixels. Experimental results obtained at the SYRMEP/FRONTRAD beam line of the ELETTRA synchrotron radiation machine with this innovative detector are presented.