Surface Processing of TlBr Crystals for X- and γ-ray Detectors

A procedure for surface processing of TlBr crystals to be applied as X-and ?-ray detectors has been developed, providing removal of a mechanically destroyed surface layer by deep chemical etching, allowing the surfaces of good topography and thus the detectors with high energy resolution and stability to be obtained in a repeatable way. The surface quality and structural changes in the near-surface layer are estimated by the optical microscopy and indentation hardness technique.