Development and Commercialization of a Novel Two-Color Hybrid Pixel X-Ray Detector

Advanced new and upgraded synchrotron X-ray beamlines and sources are being constructed worldwide, and these facilities require fast new X-ray detectors to complement them and foster new scientific applications. In particular, new detector capabilities are desirable in the time domain, for the study of fast material and molecular kinetics, in the intensity domain for keeping up with brighter X-ray sources, and in the energy discrimination domain for combining area detection with new energy resolution techniques. This grant will be used to develop and commercialize a fast new hybrid pixel array detector for use in materials science experiments at these facilities. The new detector’s novel properties are the abilities to record two simultaneous X-ray images at different colors or sample times, and the ability to accurately measure much more intense X-rays than previously possible. This detector will be used for many new classes of experiments, such as pump-probe X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence, and time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy. In Phase I, a fully functional X-ray camera will be built from a prototype 48x48 pixel chip that has already been designed. It will be characterized with X-rays, and a demonstration experiment will show its new dual gate functions work to sync the counters to multiple time points in experiments, setting the stage for its use in real-world pump-probe experiments. A market research study will explore the feasibility of commercializing the detector for the worldwide scientific market. The development of this X-ray detector into a mature, stable, commercial instrument promises to open the doors to new scientific and technological breakthroughs in many fields. These include those studying fast processes in materials, such as nanoscale devices, solar energy conversion and energy storage materials.