SPring-8, the large synchrotron radiation facility

Date : 14:00- August 27, 2008

Place : Lecture Hall(M) in Public Relations Center

Speaker : Dr. Christian Broennimann

Affiliate : DECTRIS Ltd

Title :
The Pilatus Detectors: Next generation X-ray detectors for synchroton, industrial and medical applications

Abstract :
The PILATUS detectors are large area, single photon counting hybrid pixel detectors. They are designed for X-ray diffraction and small angle scattering applications at synchrotron light sources as well as for industrial and medical applications.
The PILATUS hybrid pixel detectors are silicon pn-diode arrays coupled to CMOS pixel chips. The X-rays are detected by the diode arrays and the signals are amplified and processed by the CMOS chips. This technology has major advantages: 1) Direct detection of the X-rays in the silicon leading to excellent quatum efficiency and a point spread function of one pixel, 2) single photon counting processing of the X-rays leading to noise-free data. The PILATUS modules are assemblies of 16 CMOS chips bump-bonded to one silicon sensor with an area of 8.4 x 3.4 cm2. These modules are building blocks for variety of systems.   
With more than 6 million pixels covering an area of 43.1 x 44.8 cm2 the Pilatus 6M detector is the largest such device constructed to date. The detector is comprised of 60 modules, which are mounted on a precision frame. The main feature of the detector is its dynamic range of 20 bits, i.e. more than 1 million X-rays can be stored in each pixel. A massive parallel readout of the detector results in a readout time of 3.6 ms and a frame rate of 12 Hz is achieved. Other important features are the narrow point spread function, the absence of electronic noise, an electronic shutter and the possibility to suppress fluorescent background from the sample. The Pilatus 6M is in operation since spring 2007 at the protein crystallography beamline X06SA of the SLS. The detector is an order of magnitude faster than comparable CCDs and produces data of unprecedented quality.
The Pilatus 2M Detector is a 24 module array which is installed at the cSAXS beamline. This detector has an active area of 25.4 x 28.9 cm2 with 2.5M pixels and runs currently at 30Hz, a frame rate of 100Hz is targeted. Results of the calibration of the detectors will be shown as well as a discussion of the scientific results.

Organizer : TOYOKAWA (PHS : 3865)