Passive solid state microdosimeter with electronic readout

A passive microdosimetry system for qualitatively analyzing radiation incident thereon in a complex radiation field, comprising:

• at least one detector array of microstructure non-volatile memory devices, a plurality of said devices each defining a corresponding microstructure sensitive volume within which charge is generated responsive to incident radiation and wherein at least one of said microstructure non-volatile memory devices is configured to store a predetermined initial charge such that said generated charge measurably alters said predetermined initial charge stored by said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device;
• a measurement device operatively associated with said detector array, comprising
• communicating device for communicating with said at least one detector array,
• measuring mechanism for measuring said charge generated on said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device;
• and
• a qualitative analyzing device operatively associated with said measurement device for converting said generated charge to a qualitative analysis of the complex radiation field.

A method for qualitatively analyzing a complex incident radiation field, comprising the step of:

• subjecting to the radiation field a detector array comprised of a plurality of microstructure non-volatile memory devices having a corresponding plurality of associated microstructure sensitive volumes;
• individually measuring the charge deposition on at least one of said microstructure non-volatile devices, said charge deposition being generated responsive to the incident radiation within the corresponding microstructure sensitive volume of said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device;
• and
• outputting said charge deposition for conversion to a qualitative analysis of the complex radiation field.

A passive microdosimetry system for qualitatively analyzing radiation incident thereof in a complex radiation field, comprising:

• at least one detector array of microstructure non-volatile memory device comprising a semiconductor device configured to individually address at least one of said microstructure non-volatile memory devices, each of said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device being configured to store a predetermined initial charge thereon and defining a microstructure sensitive volume within which charge is generated responsive to incident radiation such that said generated charge individually and measurably alters said predetermined initial charge stored on said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device;
• measurement device operatively associated with said at least one detector array, comprising
• communicating device for communicating with said at least one detector array, and
• measuring mechanism for measuring said charge generated on said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory devices within a measured area of said at least one detector array;
• and
• a qualitative analyzing device operatively associated with said measurement device for converting said generated charge into an estimate of the number of events occurring within discrete energy bands within said measured area and applying sensitive volume dependent weighting factors to said estimate according to said discrete energy bands, said weighting factors correlating to known energy ranges within which known ionizing particles, in sensitive volumes comparable to said sensitive volumes of said microstructure non-volatile memory devices, deposit energy so that a spectral analysis of the complex radiation field is generated.

A method for qualitatively analyzing a complex incident radiation field, comprising the steps of:

• charging to a predetermined initial charge at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device of at least one detector array of microstructure non-volatile memory devices each having an associated microstructure sensitive volume, wherein said predetermined initial charge is set relative to a known threshold charge so that the traversal of said known threshold charge from said predetermined initial charge causes said at least one microstructure non-volatile memory device to change state;
• subjecting to the radiation field said at least one detector array;
• and
• measuring the generated charge on a measured area of said detector array, said generated charge being responsive to incident radiation within said microstructure sensitive volumes of the at least one microstructure non-volatile memory devices within said measured area, by changing the post-irradiation charge on at least one of said microstructure non-volatile memory device at a known rate toward said threshold charge and determining the time required for each said at least one microstructure memory device to change state.