Dr. Alan Owens has an undergraduate degree in Physics and Physical Electronics and a Doctorate from the University of Durham, United Kingdom, in Astrophysics. He spent 30 years in the design and construction of novel detection systems for X- and gamma-ray astronomy and is currently a staff physicist at the European Space Agency, involved in the development and exploitation of new technologies for space applications. Much of this work revolves around compound semiconductors for radiation detection and measurement, which by its very nature involves materials and systems at a low level of maturity. Consequently, he has been involved in all aspects of a systematic and long-term program on material assessment, production, processing, detector fabrication, and characterization for a large number of compound semiconductors.

Semiconductors. Growth Techniques. Detector Fabrication. Contacting Systems. Radiation Detection and Measurement. Present Detection Systems. Improving Performance. Appendices.