由于硅(锂)和锗(锂)探测器都需要在液氮温度下保存和工作,因此人们集中发展了原子序数高的、能在室温下工作的半导体探测器。现在主要研究的室温半导体化合物探测器有砷化镓、碲化镉和碘化汞。HgI_2是七十年代发展起来的一种新型室温核辐射探测器。由于它具有很高的原子序数和较大的禁带宽度,因而它的光电吸收截面大、探测效率高、能在常温下工作,体积小,使用方便。它可探测的能量范围较大,但更适合于探测能量在几个keV至150keV的X射线和γ射线。在医学生物学、放射性监测、野外探矿、能谱分析等方面有 Since both silicon (Si) and germanium (Li) detectors need to be stored and operated at liquid nitrogen temperatures, there has been a growing focus on semiconductor detectors capable of operating at room temperature with high atomic numbers. Now the main research room temperature semiconductor compound detectors are gallium arsenide, cadmium telluride and mercury iodide. HgI_2 is a new type of room temperature nuclear radiation detector developed in the seventies. Because of its high atomic number and a large forbidden band width, its photoelectric absorption cross-section is large, high detection efficiency, can work at room temperature, small size, easy to use. It can detect a large range of energy, but more suitable for detecting energy in a few keV to 150keV X-ray and gamma rays. In medical biology, radioactivity monitoring, field prospecting, energy spectrum analysis and so on