Investigation of the use of a stacked HpGe detector for improving gamma ray spectra at energies above ∼2MeV

An investigation has been carried out to determine how effectively a stacked HpGe detector with ultra-thin electrical contacts can be used to improve the spectrum shapes for the detection of monoenergetic γ-rays with energies above 2MeV. Results are presented which show that almost ideal spectrum shapes with a single photopeak and a low intensity lower energy continuum can be achieved using a stacked HpGe detector that was not specifically designed for γ-detection. It is concluded that the spectrum shape could be improved further by developing stacked HpGe detectors with the new ultra-thin electrical contacts specifically for γ-detection.