Pixel detectors for particle physics and imaging applications

Semiconductor pixel detectors offer features for the detection of radiation which are interesting for particle physics detectors as well as for imaging e.g., in biomedical applications (radiography, autoradiography, protein crystallography) or in X-ray astronomy. At the present time hybrid pixel detectors are technologically mastered to a large extent and large-scale particle detectors are being built. Although the physical requirements are often quite different, imaging applications are emerging and interesting prototype results are available. Monolithic detectors, however, offer interesting features for both fields in future applications. The state of development of hybrid and monolithic pixel detectors, excluding CCDs, and their different suitability for particle detection and imaging, is reviewed. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.