DETECTORS AND ELECTRONICS

Detectors are an integral part of the analysis. They define throughput, accuracy and resolution of the measurements, but they are also a vital component for an automated analysis. Typical problems of limited count-rates, low solid-angle, and count-rate dependent calibrations hinder your analysis progress.

Our ground-breaking annular segmented ion detector shifts this limit by an order of magnitude by combining 8 Si-PIN detectors at a reaction angle of 150°.  Individual systems can be made for different detection angles. The detector joins the signals of 8 individual crystals in a tight packaging with easy replacement of individual detectors. In the high resolution mode a total of 130,000 counts per seconds (kcps) is achieved at 9.6 % dead-time and 11.9 keV FWHM energy resolution. In the high through-put mode 190 kcps with 27.2 keV energy resolution are possible.  This breakthrough alleviates typical problems of RBS and NRA of low statistics, overlapping peaks, and detection limits of scarce elements. It also delivers a breakthrough for µ-mapping, since the 8x larger solid angle enables shorter measurement times per point and requires less ion current on the sample without the drawbacks of using detectors with large sensitive area.

The ion impact on the detector related to RBS and NRA reaction products damages the detectors, typically limiting the lifetime with an ongoing decrease of the energy resolution. The detectors are individually replaceable. A special algorithm for detector energy resolution and calibration enables optimising the values for all detector segments and identify deteriorated detectors for replacement.