A High Performance Direct Electron Imager

高性能直接电子成像仪

• 批准号: EP/H02834X/1
• 负责人: Angus Kirkland
• 金额: $ 17.1万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2010 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FH02834X%2F1
• 关键词: Performance; Direct; Electron; Imager

The development of Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM's) has made tremendous progress in the last few years and these instruments are now routinely used in laboratories across the world to obtain structural data from many materials at resolutions beyond 100pm. However the detectors that are essential for digital recording of images, diffraction patterns and spectra are still based on old technology which limits the performance of these instruments (the detector gap ). The basic problem lies in the construction and operation of detectors which are based on Charge Coupled Devices (CCD's) similar to those used for optical imaging. CCD's are damaged if directly exposed to the electron beam and must be coupled to a scintillator which converts the beam electrons into photons. These photons are then recorded by the CCD. Previous research under an EPSRC funded project has developed an entirely new type of sensor that can be directly exposed to medium energy electrons as an alternative to indirect detection. This sensor has been shown to have a far greater sensitivity than indirectly coupled CCDs (it is capable of detecting single electrons) and has far higher resolution. In addition it can be operated in a counting mode providing an infinite dynamic range. These significantly improved characteristics will enhance the output from TEM's by providing less noisy digital images and spectra enabling materials to be studied with less radiation exposure. This is vitally important when the TEM is used to study many modern materials, such as semiconductors, catalysts and carbon based nanostructures which are often damaged in the electron beam. It will also be critical for imaging biological materials which are extremely electron sensitive and where the enhanced sensitivity will be of considerable benefit. We now intend to develop the commercial potential of this novel the 1D sensor through the construction of a functional 2D imaging as a commercial prototype. This will require fabrication of a large array 2D sensor using our existing technology, the integration of suitable readout electronics and the design and construction of a suitable mechanical / vacuum interface to form a prototype imaging system. We will then use this to demonstrate to investors the clear advantages of this technology over existing detectors in a range of application examples from both biology and materials science. All of these steps have been demonstrated to be technically feasible within the orginal project and are essential steps in realising the commercial potential of the sensor.

透射电子显微镜的发展在过去几年中取得了巨大的进步，这些仪器现在被世界各地的实验室常规使用，以获得超过100 PM的分辨率的许多材料的结构数据然而，对数字记录图像、衍射图和光谱至关重要的探测器仍然基于旧技术，这限制了这些仪器的性能(探测器间隙)。基本问题在于基于电荷耦合器件(CCD)的探测器的结构和操作，这些探测器类似于用于光学成像的探测器。如果直接暴露在电子束下，电荷耦合器件就会损坏，必须与闪烁体耦合，闪烁体将电子束中的电子转化为光子。这些光子随后被电荷耦合器件记录下来。EPSRC资助的项目之前的研究已经开发出一种全新类型的传感器，可以直接暴露在中能电子中，作为间接检测的替代方案。这种传感器已经被证明比间接耦合的电荷耦合器件(它能够探测单电子)具有更高的灵敏度和更高的分辨率。此外，它还可以在提供无限动态范围的计数模式下运行。这些显著改进的特性将通过提供噪音更小的数字图像和光谱来增强透射电子显微镜的输出，从而能够以更少的辐射暴露来研究材料。当电子显微镜被用来研究许多现代材料时，这是至关重要的，例如半导体、催化剂和碳基纳米结构，这些材料在电子束中经常被破坏。它对于成像生物材料也将是至关重要的，因为生物材料是极其电子敏感的，增强的灵敏度将有相当大的好处。我们现在打算通过构建功能2D成像作为商业原型来开发这种新型1D传感器的商业潜力。这将需要使用我们现有的技术制造一个大阵列2D传感器，集成合适的读出电子设备，并设计和建造合适的机械/真空接口，以形成原型成像系统。然后，我们将利用这一点向投资者展示这项技术在生物学和材料科学的一系列应用实例中相对于现有探测器的明显优势。所有这些步骤在最初的项目中都被证明在技术上是可行的，是实现传感器商业潜力的关键步骤。

项目成果

Assessing the precision of strain measurements using electron backscatter diffraction--part 1: detector assessment.

使用电子背散射衍射评估应变测量的精度 - 第 1 部分：探测器评估。

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2013.08.005
• 发表时间: 2013
• 期刊: Ultramicroscopy
• 影响因子: 2.2
• 作者: Britton TB

Direct detection of electron backscatter diffraction patterns.

直接检测电子背散射衍射图案。

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.065506
• 发表时间: 2013
• 期刊: Physical review letters
• 影响因子: 8.6
• 作者: Wilkinson AJ

Imaging electron detectors for low-voltage TEM

用于低压 TEM 的成像电子探测器

• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/241/1/012009
• 发表时间: 2010
• 期刊: Conference Series
• 作者: Moldovan G

1122 poster SILICON DIODE ARRAYS FOR SMALL FIELD QA AND STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY/THERAPY VERIFICATION

1122海报用于小场质量保证和立体定向放射外科/治疗验证的硅二极管阵列

• DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(11)71244-0
• 发表时间: 2011
• 期刊: Radiotherapy and Oncology
• 影响因子: 5.7
• 作者: Manolopoulos S

DUOS- A two Speed Electron Imager Within the Same Pixel array

DUOS - 同一像素阵列内的双速电子成像仪

• 发表时间: 2010
• 作者: Anaxagoras T