Micromachined Ceramic Microchannel Plates

50793-98-I Micromachined Ceramic Microchannel Plates--Nanomaterials Research Corporation, 2849 East Elvira Road, Tucson, AZ 85706-7126; (520) 294-7115 Dr. Dmitri Routkevitch, Principal Investigator Ms. Michelle Mikus, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82624 Amount: $75,000 Glass fiber technology for manufacturing microchannel plates has approached its fundamental limits in cost, detector size, and channel diameter. New technology is therefore needed to overcome these limitations and mass-produce low-cost, high resolution large microchannel plates for particle and photon detectors. This project will develop economical manufacturing of microchannel plates with channel diameter ranging from 0.05 to 25 ¿m and high aspect ratio (>1000:1) on the area of tens of square inches. The proposed innovation is based on advanced synthesis of self-organized porous materials and their micromachining. The work will establish the proof-of-concept that nano- and micro-structuring of porous ceramic can enable the production of inexpensive micro- and submicro-channel plates with low channel diameter, high aspect ration, high spatial and temporal resolution. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The proposed technology will bring about the opportunity to develop particle/photon detectors with new levels of performance, manufacturability, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with semiconductor fabrication and micromachining processes. _