Solid-state drift chamber

A very promising type of sohd-state detector is the solid-state drift chamber (SSD) detector, featuring excellent energy resolution at high count rates. A FWHM below 140 eV at 5.9 keV can be achieved with thermoelectrical cooling (Peltier effect). SSDs exist in a large variety of sizes up to 2 cm diameter. 

X-rays cause ionization in gases, liquids, and solids, thereby altering the electrical properties of these materials. Gas ionization is the basis of gas-filled detectors such as ionization chambers, Geiger-Miiller counters and proportional counters are used in conjunction with X-ray dispersion. The ionization of silicon atoms in the solid state forms the basis of the lithium-drifted (Si(Li)) semiconductor detector, making energy-dispersive detection of X-rays possible. 

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