At the end of August, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research hosted a meeting of representatives of the Rosatom State Corporation, RASU JSC, Germanium JSC, Germanium and Applications LLC, Science and Innovation JSC, Giredmet JSC, Tver State University, organized within the framework of the protocol on cooperation between JINR and Institute of Physical and Technical Problems JSC. With the active participation of staff members of the Laboratory of High Energy Physics JINR, the parties discussed the development of production of the high-purity germanium (HPG) and cooperation in this area.

At the meeting, held in a round-table format, the possibilities of implementing joint projects aimed at developing technology for obtaining and producing the high-purity germanium were discussed. Participants paid special attention to the restoration of the production of the monocrystalline germanium and the key requirements for raw materials. The technical conditions for the production of detector-quality germanium single crystals in a large volume were discussed. Participants also considered specific steps and interaction schemes to create the high-purity germanium in the Russian Federation.

Germanium is used in fiber and thermal imaging optics, photonics, microelectronics, chemical industry. The high-purity germanium is necessary in nuclear physics to create detectors of X-ray and gamma radiation. Currently, technologies for obtaining the high-purity pure germanium lost in the 2000s are being restored in Russia, the Member State and the country of JINR location. So, recently, a sample of Russian-made HPG produced in Germanium JSC (Krasnoyarsk) was transferred for testing to IPTP JSC.

Head of the VBLHEP Sector Anton Baldin, who is responsible for the SHINE project at the NICA Accelerator Complex being created at JINR, commented on the scope of the Institute’s interests in the area, “JINR successfully uses spectrometers based on the high-purity germanium manufactured at IPTP. We are actively developing cooperation in this area. This year, a new spectrometer based on the high-purity germanium was manufactured for the SHINE applied research station in the field of nuclear energy at the NICA collider being under construction at JINR.” “Russia buys about 100 spectrometric crystals of the high-purity germanium per year. The cost of one spectrometer is about 10 million rubles. Thus, the restoration of Russian production of the high-purity germanium is currently of particular relevance,” IPTP Director Alexander Smirnov said.