Characterizing High-Energy Ion Beams with PIPS Detectors

The energy deposited by heavy-ion beams was measured using a passivated implanted planar silicon (PIPS) detector in different facilities. Ion beams at ultrahigh energy lead to the formation of a second, unexpected peak in the deposited energy spectrum at slightly higher energy, in addition to the expected primary peak. Monte Carlo simulations are used to shed light on the origin of this phenomenon and the underlying physical mechanisms. The importance of accounting for secondaries' production in the packaging materials of the diode and the mechanisms at play are highlighted in the discussion of the results.