Cryogenic, high-resolution x-ray detector with high count rate capability

US6528814B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Matthias Frank · Oakland, US
• Carl A. Mears · Oakland, US
• Simon E. Labov · Berkeley, US
• Larry J. Hiller · Livermore, US
• Andrew Thomas Barfknecht · Menlo Park, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 14, 1999
• Grant date: Mar 4, 2003
• Expiry date: Sep 14, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N60/84
• WIPO field: Environmental technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A cryogenic, high-resolution X-ray detector with high count rate capability has been invented. The new X-ray detector is based on superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs), and operates without thermal stabilization at or below 500 mK. The X-ray detector exhibits good resolution (˜5-20 eV FWHM) for soft X-rays in the keV region, and is capable of counting at count rates of more than 20,000 counts per second (cps). Simple, FET-based charge amplifiers, current amplifiers, or conventional spectroscopy shaping amplifiers can provide the electronic readout of this X-ray detector.