System and method for leakage current reduction in an x-ray detector

A method of reducing leakage current in a radiation imaging apparatus, comprising:

• providing a substrate with at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region therein, wherein the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels is configured to act as a detector element;
• forming a guard region in the substrate at or immediately adjacent a cut edge of the substrate to collect leakage current from the cut edge and to reduce the leakage current reaching the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region from the cut edge when a radiation imaging apparatus is in use;
• and
• electrically reverse biasing the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region relative to the substrate, wherein the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region comprises a portion adjacent the guard region that is closest to where incident radiation impacts the radiation imaging apparatus, wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a first pixel electrode located in the portion where a first longitudinal end of the first pixel electrode closest to the guard region is a first distance from the guard region that reduces an amount of the leakage current received by the first pixel electrode relative to if a pixel electrode were located in the portion having a second longitudinal end closest to the guard region located at a second distance from the guard region that is less than the first distance.

A photon-counting X-ray detector, comprising:

• a plurality of detector sub-modules, wherein each detector sub-module comprises:
• a semiconductor layer;
• at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region in the semiconductor layer, wherein the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels is configured to act as a detector element;
• a guard region at or immediately adjacent a cut edge of the semiconductor layer, wherein the guard region collects leakage current from the cut edge and reduces the leakage current reaching the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region from the cut edge when the radiation imaging apparatus is in use;
• and
• wherein the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region is electrically reverse biased with respect to the semiconductor layer, wherein the at least one radiation-sensitive imaging region comprises a portion adjacent the guard region that is closest to where incident radiation impacts the radiation imaging apparatus, wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a first pixel electrode located in the portion where a first longitudinal end of the first pixel electrode closest to the guard region is a first distance from the guard region that reduces an amount of the leakage current received by the first pixel electrode relative to if a pixel electrode were located in the portion having a second longitudinal end closest to the guard region located at a second distance from the guard region that is less than the first distance.