High resolution, hard X-ray digital imagers for non-destructive testing applications

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Our proposed Strategic Partnership Grant will lead to the development of new high-performance image sensors for cabinet digital X-ray systems that will significantly benefit Canada's manufacturing sector. X-ray cabinet systems are turnkey devices normally comprising an X-ray source, sample stage, and X-ray detector all housed in a shielded enclosure. The portability, performance, and cost of these systems make them attractive for use in non-destructive test (NDT) applications where intact products in a manufacturing environment are inspected for micrometre-scale internal defects. By combining X-ray-sensitive amorphous semiconductor materials such as amorphous selenium with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated pixel arrays, we will create X-ray inspection and measurement technology that will provide better resolution, recognition, accuracy, and speed of data capture compared to existing technologies used for NDT. These improvements will enhance productivity and quality control in processes used by Canadian automotive, aerospace, and electronic device manufacturers that rely on 2-D and 3-D NDT for integrity verification, failure analysis, process validation, and prototype evaluation. This project is being carried out in collaboration with Teledyne DALSA (T-DALSA), a Canadian company with headquarters in Waterloo, ON and that has design and manufacturing centers across Canada. Our research involves training graduate engineering students in the manufacturing and information technology industries. Such highly-qualified personnel (HQP) are essential to maintaining Canada's technological advantage globally.