Recent developments in next-generation microchannel plates for particle identification applications

Till Cremer; Bernhard W. Adams; Melvin Aviles; Camden D. Ertley; Michael R. Foley; Alexey Lyashenko; Michael J. Minot; Mark A. Popecki; Travis Rivera; Michael E. Stochaj; Anil U. Mane; Jeffrey W. Elam; Maximilian Gebhard; Oswald H. Siegmund

doi:10.1117/12.2530037

9 September 2019 Recent developments in next-generation microchannel plates for particle identification applications

Till Cremer, Bernhard W. Adams, Melvin Aviles, Camden D. Ertley, Michael R. Foley, Alexey Lyashenko, Michael J. Minot, Mark A. Popecki, Travis Rivera, Michael E. Stochaj, Anil U. Mane, Jeffrey W. Elam, Maximilian Gebhard, Oswald H. Siegmund

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11118, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XXI; 111180M (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2530037
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2019, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Incom Inc. is developing and commercializing a novel type of microchannel plate (MCP) electron multipliers. These new devices are called “ALD-GCA-MCPs” and are made from glass capillary arrays (GCA), glass plates with a regular array of hollow glass capillaries that are functionalized using atomic layer deposition (ALD) thin film coating technology. ALD-GCA-MCPs are a technology advancement that affords MCPs with significantly improved performance, as compared to conventional MCPs. Notable benefits over conventional lead-oxide based MCPs are larger size, high and stable gain, low dark counts and gamma-ray sensitivity, improved mechanical stability, and the unique ability to tune the MCP resistance and electron amplification characteristics over a much wider range and independent from the glass substrate. Incom now routinely produces ALD-GCA-MCPs with 10 and 20 μm pore size at MCP dimensions up to 20 cm x 20 cm. The MCPs show a number of favorable characteristics, such as 3x lower gamma-ray sensitivity compared to conventional MPCs, low background (< 0.05 cts/s/cm²), and stable, high gains (<1×10⁴ for single MCP and <1×10⁷ for a chevron pair configuration, at 1000V/MCP). ALD-GCA-MCPs find use in a variety of photon counting applications and are particularly suited for charged particle detection that requires high timing and spatial resolution, such as Ion time-of-flight (TOF), electron spectroscopies, analytical and space instruments, and MCP-based photomultipliers such as the Large-Area Picosecond Photodetector (LAPPD^TM), which is also being developed by Incom Inc. In this paper, we provide a brief technology overview highlighting the current state of the art of Incom’s ALD-GCA-MCP technology, as well as current and future development efforts that address the GCA glass substrate as well as the resistive and electron emissive ALD coatings.

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Till Cremer, Bernhard W. Adams, Melvin Aviles, Camden D. Ertley, Michael R. Foley, Alexey Lyashenko, Michael J. Minot, Mark A. Popecki, Travis Rivera, Michael E. Stochaj, Anil U. Mane, Jeffrey W. Elam, Maximilian Gebhard, and Oswald H. Siegmund "Recent developments in next-generation microchannel plates for particle identification applications", Proc. SPIE 11118, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XXI, 111180M (9 September 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2530037

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