The \textsc{Gerda} experiment searches for the neutrinoless double beta (0νβbeta)decayof^{76}Geusinghigh−puritygermaniumdetectorsmadeofmaterialenrichedin^{76}Ge.ForPhaseIIoftheexperimentasensitivityforthehalflifeT_{1/2}^{0\nu}\,\,\sim2\cdot10^{26}yrisenvisioned.ModifiedBroadEnergyGermaniumdetectors(BEGe)withthickn^+electrodesprovidethecapabilitytoefficientlyidentifyandrejectbackgroundevents,whilekeepingalargeacceptanceforthe0\nu\betabeta-decay signal through novel pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) techniques. The viability of producing thick-window BEGe-type detectors for the \textsc{Gerda} experiment is demonstrated by testing all the production steps from the procurement of isotopically modified germanium up to working BEGe detectors. Comprehensive testing of the spectroscopic as well as PSD performance of the \textsc{Gerda} Phase II prototype BEGe detectors proved that the properties of these detectors are identical to those produced previously from natural germanium material following the standard production line of the manufacturer. Furthermore, the production of BEGe detectors from a limited amount of isotopically modified germanium served to optimize the production, in order to maximize the overall detector mass yield. The results of this test campaign provided direct input for the subsequent production of the enriched germanium detectors.
@article{arxiv.1303.6768,
title = {Isotopically modified Ge detectors for {\sc Gerda}: from production to operation},
author = {D. Budjáš and M. Agostini and L. Baudis and E. Bellotti and L. Bezrukov and R. Brugnera and C. Cattadori and A. di Vacri and R. Falkenstein and A. Garfagnini and S. Georgi and P. Grabmayr and A. Hegai and S. Hemmer and M. Hult and J. Janicskó Csáthy and V. Kornoukhov and B. Lehnert and A. Lubashevskiy and S. Nisi and G. Pivato and S. Schönert and M. Tarka and K. von Sturm},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1303.6768},
year = {2015}
}