Position-Sensitive Czt Detector Module

Coded mask imagers for future high energy X-ray astronomy missions will require detector planes with areas of hundreds to thousands of cm(2) and position resolutions <1 mm. Such detectors will enable coded mask imagers to discover and study thousands of high energy X-ray sources. The UCSD/WU/UCR/NOVA collaboration has been developing CZT detector systems with crossed-strip readout to meet these requirements. We report progress on a compact detector module with 41 cm(2) area and 0.5 mm spatial resolution. The design includes the bias network and ASIC readout electronics, and allows modules to be combined in large arrays with very high live-area factors. Results from laboratory and balloon flight tests are presented.