An X-ray detector comprises: a semiconductor bulk made of Cd.sub.(1-x)Zn.sub.xTe, wherein x is in a range of 0 to 50%; a contact made of a first material on the semiconductor bulk; and a contact-semiconductor region, which is part of the semiconductor bulk and is adjacent to the contact. The contact-semiconductor region is doped with a second material, which differs from the first material, and a majority of the semiconductor bulk is not doped with the second material.

Charged particle microscopy systems, sensors, and techniques are provided. A charged particle sensor can include a housing, configured to be incorporated into a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The charged particle sensor can include a detector cell, mechanically coupled with the housing. The detector cell can include an acceptor layer including a semiconducting material characterized by a bandgap equal to or greater than about 2.0 eV. The acceptor layer can define a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The detector cell can include a first conducting layer disposed on the first surface, a second conducting layer disposed on the second surface, a first contact, electrically coupled with the first conducting layer, and a second contact, electrically coupled with the second conducting layer.

In an embodiment an X-ray detection device includes a circuit board supporting conductor tracks on a base body and an X-ray detector mounted on the based body and configured to detect X-rays within a relevant energy detection range of the X-ray detection device, wherein a sensitive section of the circuit board is free of contamination materials prone to emit contaminating X-ray emission within the relevant energy detection range upon being excited with X-rays, and wherein in the sensitive section the base body and the conductor tracks consist essentially of circuit board materials having an atomic number of at most 14.

Disclosed is a header for a radiation detector assembly provided for mounting a detector head into an enclosure formed by the header and a detector can to form the radiation detector assembly. The detector head includes a semiconductor radiation detector arranged on a first side of a substrate and a thermoelectric cooler, TEC, arranged on a second side of the substrate, the header including: a base plate having a first side for mounting the TEC and a second side with an attachment mechanism for attaching the radiation detector assembly to a radiation-detecting appliance; contact pins that provide electrical coupling through the base plate protruding from the first side of the base plate to substantially define a rim for accommodating the TEC within the rim; and a draining outlet with an opening through the base plate between its first and second sides transferring a gas to and/or from the enclosure.