High Performance Diamond Based Transparent X-Ray Beam Imaging System

The goal of this Phase I SBIR project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a x-ray beam profile imaging system with a pixel size of less than 50 μm, transparency better than 90% for monochromatic beams >5keV in addition to fast feedback, flux response and dynamic range. Furthermore, the monitor will include real time digital data acquisition and feedback controls with an ability to measure 107 photons/s to 1016 photons/sec per pixel with no more than 5% error, and be able to produce beam shape and images & position information at >10 Hz. The imaging monitor is based on single crystal diamond (SCD) membranes developed in previously funded DOE SBIR Phase II project (DE- SC00017233 for low-Z free-standing membranes for foils and x-ray windows). The Phase I work plan includes the following objectives: Synthesis of SCD films via hetero-epitaxial growth on the surface of 100 mm diameter sapphire substrates with a crystalline iridium (Ir) layer epitaxially grown on the surface. The SCD films will be grown using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) and hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) process, recently developed in the previous SBIR project, which demonstrated the feasibility of production high quality mechanically robust self-supported microcrystalline diamond (MCD) membranes (25 x 25 mm) fabricated from MCD films grown on 100 mm diameter Si wafers. Design and fabrication of large number of diamond pixelated detectors with photo-lithography and back etching of the large area substrate with the large area free-standing SCD films. Integration of the above array detector with high speed electronics. Preliminary testing of the new SCD based pixelated imagers/beam monitors at the Advance Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, where O. Auciello, worked and performed experiments for 16 years (1996-2012). Phase II will focus on integration of SCD membranes with a commercial fast multi-channel high- voltage analog switch in the market today (HV2701 from Supertex Inc.), capable of achieving a maximum channel switching frequency of 200 kHz.