This thesis describes design and construction of the SFT. The first section gives a comprehensive overview of the experimental set-up of HERMES and its components relevant for DVCS analysis. The second section introduces the Recoil Detector and Monte Carlo (MC) studies performed to evaluate the requirements for the individual detector parts. In the third section a detailed description of the design parameters and constraints is given and the chosen materials and assembling methods are discussed. This section is complemented by reporting results of the performance of SFT prototype modules from a test experiment conducted at GSI.Finally, an introduction into the GPD formalism and its application to nuclei is given in the fourth section and pioneering results of DVCS off nuclei are presented in the fifth section.
