HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING DETECTORS FOR ASTRONOMICAL APPLICATIONS

ASTRONOMICAL APPLICATIONS SUCH AS FAINT-OBJECT IMAGING, FAINT-OBJECT SPECTROSCOPY INCLUDING SPECKLE SPECTROSCOPY, STELLAR SPECKLE INTERFEROMETRY, SPECKLE IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION AND PHASE-COMPENSATED IMAGING WOULD BENEFIT SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED IMAGING INSTRUMENTATION. IT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO NEW CLASSES OF HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING DETECTORS (MULTI-ANODE MICROCHANNEL ARRAY (MAMA) DEVICES AND DIGICON TUBES THAT WILL FIND APPLICATIONS IN SEVERAL OF THE ABOCE-MENTIONED AREAS. THESE DEVICES EMPLOY PHOTOCATHODES AND EITHER MICROCHANNEL-PLATE OR ELECTRON BEAM BOMBARDED SILICON TECHNOLOGY TO ACHIEVE HIGH INTERNAL GAIN. HOWEVER, THE PROPOSED HIGH-RESOLUTION DEVICES DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM CURRENTLY AVAILABLE DEVICES IN THAT THE NEW DEVICES EMPLOY A NOVEL HIGH-RESOLUTION (-400 ANODES/MM) BAKEABLE, MULTI-ANODE FEEDTHROUGH PLATE TO TRANSFER IMAGE-WISE ELECTRONIC CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE EVACUATED DEVICE HOUSING. THIS NEW FEEDTHROUGH PLATE TECHNOLOGY IS EXPECTED TO SOLVE SEVERAL OFTHE MANUFACTURING AND OPERATING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IMAGE-CONVERTER TUBES, AND THEREFORE PERMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW FAMILY OF LOW-COST, HIGH RESOLUTION MAMA DETECTORS AND DIGICONS. THE MULTI-ANODE FEEDTHROUGH PLATE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO FACILITATE THE BUMP BONDING OF THESE HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING DETECTORS TO SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS (E.G. CCDS). THE AVAILABILITY OF SUCH LOW-COST, HIGH PERFORMANCE DEVICES IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN SEVERAL OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED AREAS OF ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH.