Long-term analysis of the semiconductor HPGe detector system through internal quality control program-A Thirteen years Follow-up

Quality control of a laboratory process has become a reliable tool for monitoring and obtaining results that provide evidence of the stability of a measuring system. Gamma spectrometry is no exception. Moreover, establishing an internal quality control program ensures valid results regarding the long-term stability of the semiconductor measuring system. In this paper, we present the results of internal quality control performed on the HPGe detector over the period from 2010 to 2022. During this time, net peak area, Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHMs), Full Width at Tenth Maximum (FWTMs), and FWTM/FWHM ratio, as well as the total number of counts in the background were monitored and analysed. For this purpose, two point sources ( 60 Co and 137 Cs) were used. The obtained results demonstrate that adhering to good laboratory practice and implementing a properly established internal quality control program enables the identification of irregularities in the operation of the detector system and facilitates timely corrections, thereby ensuring the reliability of the HPGe detector system. • Long-term analysis (13 years) of HPGe detector system performances • Monitoring the basic characteristics of the semiconductor spectrometer through the QA/QC programme • Analysis of: net peak area, FWHMs, FWTMs, FWHM/FWTM ratios and the total number of counts in the background • Underlined importance of well-established internal quality control