scholarly journals Transforming X-ray detection with hybrid photon counting detectors

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2147) ◽  
pp. 20180241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Förster ◽  
Stefan Brandstetter ◽  
Clemens Schulze-Briese
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
Coherent Scattering ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wide Range

Hybrid photon counting (HPC) detectors have radically transformed basic research at synchrotron light sources since 2006. They excel at X-ray diffraction applications in the energy range from 2 to 100 keV. The main reasons for their superiority are the direct detection of individual photons and the accurate determination of scattering and diffraction intensities over an extremely high dynamic range. The detectors were first adopted in macromolecular crystallography where they revolutionized data collection. They were soon also used for small-angle scattering, coherent scattering, powder X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy and increasingly high-energy applications. Here, we will briefly survey the history of HPC detectors, explain their technology and then show in detail how improved detection has transformed a wide range of experimental techniques. We will end with an outlook to the future, which will probably see HPC technology find even broader use, for example, in electron microscopy and medical applications. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fifty years of synchrotron science: achievements and opportunities’.

Detector commissioning and development for PETRA-III

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (SRMS-7) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pennicard ◽  
Heinz Graafsma ◽  
Michael Lohmann
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
High Energy ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Silicon Detectors ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Synchrotron Light

The new synchrotron light source PETRA-III produced its first beam last year. The extremely high brilliance of PETRA-III and the large energy range of many of its beamlines make it useful for a wide range of experiments, particularly in materials science. The detectors at PETRA-III will need to meet several requirements, such as operation across a wide dynamic range, high-speed readout and good quantum efficiency even at high photon energies. PETRA-III beamlines with lower photon energies will typically be equipped with photon-counting silicon detectors for two-dimensional detection and silicon drift detectors for spectroscopy and higher-energy beamlines will use scintillators coupled to cameras or photomultiplier tubes. Longer-term developments include ‘high-Z’ semiconductors for detecting high-energy X-rays, photon-counting readout chips with smaller pixels and higher frame rates and pixellated avalanche photodiodes for time-resolved experiments.

Single Crystal Wurtzitic Aluminum Nitride Growth on Silicon Using Supersonic Gas Jets

1995 ◽  
Vol 395 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Ustin ◽  
L. Lauhon ◽  
K. A. Brown ◽  
D. Q. Hu ◽  
W. Ho
Keyword(s):  
Aluminum Nitride ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
High Energy ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Rutherford Back Scattering ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Supersonic Molecular Beam ◽  
Supersonic Beams ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACTHighly oriented aluminum nitride (0001) films have been grown on Si(001) and Si (111) substrates at temperatures between 550° C and 775° C with dual supersonic molecular beam sources. Triethylaluminum (TEA;[(C2H5)3Al]) and ammonia (NH3) were used as precursors. Hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen were used as seeding gases for the precursors, providing a wide range of possible kinetic energies for the supersonic beams due to the disparate masses of the seed gases. Growth rates of AIN were found to depend strongly on the substrate orientation and the kinetic energy of the incident precursor; a significant increase in growth rate is seen when seeding in hydrogen or helium as opposed to nitrogen. Growth rates were 2–3 times greater on Si(001) than on Si(111). Structural characterization of the films was done by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray rocking curve (XRC) full-width half-maxima (FWHM) were seen as small as 2.5°. Rutherford back scattering (RBS) was used to determine the thickness of the films and their chemical composition. Films were shown to be nitrogen rich, deviating from perfect stoichiometry by 10%–20%. Surface analysis was performed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES).

scholarly journals Evaluating scintillator performance in time-resolved hard X-ray studies at synchrotron light sources

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Rutherford ◽  
David J. Chapman ◽  
Thomas G. White ◽  
Michael Drakopoulos ◽  
Alexander Rack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synchrotron Radiation ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Short Pulse ◽  
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Short Pulse Duration ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Synchrotron Light Sources

The short pulse duration, small effective source size and high flux of synchrotron radiation is ideally suited for probing a wide range of transient deformation processes in materials under extreme conditions. In this paper, the challenges of high-resolution time-resolved indirect X-ray detection are reviewed in the context of dynamic synchrotron experiments. In particular, the discussion is targeted at two-dimensional integrating detector methods, such as those focused on dynamic radiography and diffraction experiments. The response of a scintillator to periodic synchrotron X-ray excitation is modelled and validated against experimental data collected at the Diamond Light Source (DLS) and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). An upper bound on the dynamic range accessible in a time-resolved experiment for a given bunch separation is calculated for a range of scintillators. New bunch structures are suggested for DLS and ESRF using the highest-performing commercially available crystal LYSO:Ce, allowing time-resolved experiments with an interframe time of 189 ns and a maximum dynamic range of 98 (6.6 bits).

Oxford HEXameter: Laboratory High Energy X-Ray Diffractometer for Bulk Residual Stress Analysis

2006 ◽  
Vol 524-525 ◽  
pp. 743-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander M. Korsunsky ◽  
Shu Yan Zhang ◽  
Daniele Dini ◽  
Willem J.J. Vorster ◽  
Jian Liu
Keyword(s):  
Accurate Determination ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Dispersive ◽  
Detector Response ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Synchrotron Beamlines

Diffraction of penetrating radiation such as neutrons or high energy X-rays provides a powerful non-destructive method for the evaluation of residual stresses in engineering components. In particular, strain scanning using synchrotron energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction has been shown to offer a fast and highly spatially resolving measurement technique. Synchrotron beamlines provide best available instruments in terms of flux and low beam divergence, and hence spatial and measurement resolution and data collection rate. However, despite the rapidly growing number of facilities becoming available in Europe and across the world, access to synchrotron beamlines for routine industrial and research use remains regulated, comparatively slow and expensive. A laboratory high energy X-ray diffractometer for bulk residual strain evaluation (HEXameter) has been developed and built at Oxford University. It uses a twin-detector setup first proposed by one of the authors in the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction mode and allows simultaneous determination of macroscopic and microscopic strains in two mutually orthogonal directions that lie approximately within the plane normal to the incident beam. A careful procedure for detector response calibration is used in order to facilitate accurate determination of lattice parameters by pattern refinement. The results of HEXameter measurements are compared with synchrotron X-ray data for several samples e.g. made from a titanium alloy and a particulate composite with an aluminium alloy matrix. Experimental results are found to be consistent with synchrotron measurements and strain resolution close to 2×10-4 is routinely achieved by the new instrument.

scholarly journals The modular small-angle X-ray scattering data correction sequence

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1800-1811 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Pauw ◽  
A. J. Smith ◽  
T. Snow ◽  
N. J. Terrill ◽  
A. F. Thünemann
Keyword(s):  
Small Angle ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
Scattering Data ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Data Correction ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ray Scattering

Data correction is probably the least favourite activity amongst users experimenting with small-angle X-ray scattering: if it is not done sufficiently well, this may become evident only during the data analysis stage, necessitating the repetition of the data corrections from scratch. A recommended comprehensive sequence of elementary data correction steps is presented here to alleviate the difficulties associated with data correction, both in the laboratory and at the synchrotron. When applied in the proposed order to the raw signals, the resulting absolute scattering cross section will provide a high degree of accuracy for a very wide range of samples, with its values accompanied by uncertainty estimates. The method can be applied without modification to any pinhole-collimated instruments with photon-counting direct-detection area detectors.

scholarly journals Diamond beamline I07: a beamline for surface and interface diffraction

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1245-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Nicklin ◽  
Tom Arnold ◽  
Jonathan Rawle ◽  
Adam Warne
Keyword(s):  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
Ultrahigh Vacuum ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Scanning Tunnelling Microscope ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Double Crystal ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wide Range

Beamline I07 at Diamond Light Source is dedicated to the study of the structure of surfaces and interfaces for a wide range of sample types, from soft matter to ultrahigh vacuum. The beamline operates in the energy range 8–30 keV and has two endstations. The first houses a 2+3 diffractometer, which acts as a versatile platform for grazing-incidence techniques including surface X-ray diffraction, grazing-incidence small- (and wide-) angle X-ray scattering, X-ray reflectivity and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction. A method for deflecting the X-rays (a double-crystal deflector) has been designed and incorporated into this endstation, extending the surfaces that can be studied to include structures formed on liquid surfaces or at liquid–liquid interfaces. The second experimental hutch contains a similar diffractometer with a large environmental chamber mounted on it, dedicated toin situultrahigh-vacuum studies. It houses a range of complementary surface science equipment including a scanning tunnelling microscope, low-energy electron diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ensuring that correlations between the different techniques can be performed on the same sample, in the same chamber. This endstation allows accurate determination of well ordered structures, measurement of growth behaviour during molecular beam epitaxy and has also been used to measure coherent X-ray diffraction from nanoparticles during alloying.

Molecular Beam Epitaxy Study of InAs/GaSb Heteroepitaxy on The (111)A and (111)B Orientations

1992 ◽  
Vol 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Dura ◽  
J. T. Zborowski ◽  
T. D. Golding
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Beam ◽  
High Energy ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Double Crystal ◽  
Group V ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Molecular Beam Epitaxial ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growth ◽  
Secondary Ion

ABSTRACTWe have investigated the molecular beam epitaxial growth of homoepitaxial InAs and GaSb and InAs/GaSb heterostructures on both the (111)A and (111)B orientations. Our studies have found that high quality GaSb epilayers can be grown on both the (111)A and (111l)B orientations over a wide range of growth temperatures and flux ratios. Reflection high energy electron diffr-action phase diagrams for GaSb [111[ are presented. InAs/GaSb heterostructures, simultaneously grown on (11l)A and (111)B orientations, have been investigated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth profiles and double crystal x-ray diffraction. Unintentional incorporation of the ‘second’ group-V element is found to be approximately three times greater in the (111)A orientation than in the (111)B for both species.

Structure of lithium tellurite and vanadium lithium tellurite glasses by high-energy X-ray and neutron diffraction

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirdesh ◽  
Atul Khanna ◽  
Margit Fábián ◽  
Ann-Christin Dippel ◽  
Olof Gotowski
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Diffraction ◽  
Glass Network ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Coordination Shell ◽  
Tellurite Glasses ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Structure Factors ◽  
Wide Range

xLi2O–(100 − x)TeO2 (x = 20 and 25 mol%) and xV2O5–(25 − x)Li2O–75TeO2 (x = 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mol%) glasses were prepared by melt-quenching and their thermal and structural properties were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, high-energy X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations. The glass transition temperature increases steadily with an increase in V2O5 mol% in lithium tellurite glasses due to an increase in the average single bond energy of the glass network. The X-ray and neutron diffraction structure factors were modelled by RMC technique and the Te–O distributions show the first peak in the range 1.85–1.90 Å, with V–O = 1.75–1.95 Å, Li–O = 1.85–2.15 Å and O–O = 2.70–2.80 Å. The average Te–O coordination number decreases with an increase in Li2O mol% in lithium tellurite glasses, and the V—O coordination decreases from 5.12 to 3.81 with an increase in V2O5 concentration in vanadium lithium tellurite glasses. The O–Te–O, O–V–O, O–Li–O and O–O–O linkages have maxima in the ranges 86°–89°, 82°–87°, 80°–85° and at 59o, respectively. The structural analysis of tellurite glasses reveal significant short-range and medium-range disorder due to the existence of a wide range of Te–O and Te–Te distances in the first coordination shell.

Characterizations of Synthetic 8mol% YSZ with Comparison to 3mol %YSZ for HT-SOFC

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4A) ◽  
pp. 491-500
Author(s):  
Abeer F. Al-Attar ◽  
Saad B. H. Farid ◽  
Fadhil A. Hashim
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Conductivity ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Impedance Analysis ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Yttria Stabilized Zirconia ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Stabilized Zirconia ◽  
Powder Morphology ◽  
X Ray

In this work, Yttria (Y2O3) was successfully doped into tetragonal 3mol% yttria stabilized Zirconia (3YSZ) by high energy-mechanical milling to synthesize 8mol% yttria stabilized Zirconia (8YSZ) used as an electrolyte for high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (HT-SOFC). This work aims to evaluate the densification and ionic conductivity of the sintered electrolytes at 1650°C. The bulk density was measured according to ASTM C373-17. The powder morphology and the microstructure of the sintered electrolytes were analyzed via Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The chemical analysis was obtained with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Also, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to obtain structural information of the starting materials and the sintered electrolytes. The ionic conductivity was obtained through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in the air as a function of temperatures at a frequency range of 100(mHz)-100(kHz). It is found that the 3YSZ has a higher density than the 8YSZ. The impedance analysis showed that the ionic conductivity of the prepared 8YSZ at 800°C is0.906 (S.cm) and it was 0.214(S.cm) of the 3YSZ. Besides, 8YSZ has a lower activation energy 0.774(eV) than that of the 3YSZ 0.901(eV). Thus, the prepared 8YSZ can be nominated as an electrolyte for the HT-SOFC.

scholarly journals Detectivity optimization to detect of ultraweak light fluxes with an EM-CCD as binary photon counter array

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibtissame Khaoua ◽  
Guillaume Graciani ◽  
Andrey Kim ◽  
François Amblard
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Photon Counting ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Strong Nonlinearity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Spatially Extended ◽  
Extended Sources ◽  
Photon Counting Mode

AbstractFor a wide range of purposes, one faces the challenge to detect light from extremely faint and spatially extended sources. In such cases, detector noises dominate over the photon noise of the source, and quantum detectors in photon counting mode are generally the best option. Here, we combine a statistical model with an in-depth analysis of detector noises and calibration experiments, and we show that visible light can be detected with an electron-multiplying charge-coupled devices (EM-CCD) with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3 for fluxes less than $$30\,{\text{photon}}\,{\text{s}}^{ - 1} \,{\text{cm}}^{ - 2}$$ 30 photon s - 1 cm - 2 . For green photons, this corresponds to 12 aW $${\text{cm}}^{ - 2}$$ cm - 2 ≈ $$9{ } \times 10^{ - 11}$$ 9 × 10 - 11 lux, i.e. 15 orders of magnitude less than typical daylight. The strong nonlinearity of the SNR with the sampling time leads to a dynamic range of detection of 4 orders of magnitude. To detect possibly varying light fluxes, we operate in conditions of maximal detectivity $${\mathcal{D}}$$ D rather than maximal SNR. Given the quantum efficiency $$QE\left( \lambda \right)$$ Q E λ of the detector, we find $${ \mathcal{D}} = 0.015\,{\text{photon}}^{ - 1} \,{\text{s}}^{1/2} \,{\text{cm}}$$ D = 0.015 photon - 1 s 1 / 2 cm , and a non-negligible sensitivity to blackbody radiation for T > 50 °C. This work should help design highly sensitive luminescence detection methods and develop experiments to explore dynamic phenomena involving ultra-weak luminescence in biology, chemistry, and material sciences.

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