PACKAGING AND CHARACTERIZATION FACILITY FOR HIGH SPEED X-RAY DETECTORS

滑铁卢大学是数字X射线技术的国际领导者，促进了世界上最高空间分辨率的数字X射线成像仪的发明，其像素间距仅为6微米，比同类商用最先进的X射线成像设备小10倍以上。这种超高分辨率X射线成像仪在医疗、生命科学和工业成像领域的新应用即将出现。加拿大光源光束线和美国国家实验室同步加速器设施的主要领导人已经表达了对使用这些高分辨率探测器探索新应用的浓厚兴趣。通过这项提案，我们要求定制工具能够在工程原型开发阶段包装和表征高分辨率数字X射线成像仪，以及表征正在开发的其他新型X射线成像仪技术，包括机械灵活，低剂量和低成本的X射线成像仪。表征设备将被安置在大学级的千兆到纳米电子（G2 N）设施中，并将向所有G2 N实验室用户（来自10个部门的45名学生和教职员工）以及当地医院和数字成像公司提供服务，他们将使用该设施来表征其现有的X射线设备并对新产品进行故障排除。目前的基础设施允许在医疗、工业和兽医领域中测试和表征各种各样的X射线传感器，然而，目前的设施不具有表征高速X射线成像器的能力，高速X射线成像器是包括用于医疗、NDT和科学成像的光子计数X射线成像器的高价值利基。PI和共同申请人目前每年培训30多名HQP，预计其中至少有一半将接受X射线和数字成像仪表征和包装方面的培训，使用高速X射线探测器的拟议基础设施。经过培训的HQP将拥有各种实践技能，因为基础设施包括使用纳秒脉冲X射线源，X射线脉冲高度光谱和飞行时间等表征设置，以及对快速X射线成像仪至关重要的高压封装和包装技术。PI和共同申请人在优秀的HQP培训方面有着良好的记录，前HQP的成就证明了这一点;申请人的毕业生在Teledyne DALSA，Perkin Elmer，IBM，Intel，GE Healthcare，Apple，ON Semiconductor，USFDA，Omnivision，Christie Digital，Escheris找到了工作，并且两名前学生已经开始了自己的公司。拟议的设备将使滑铁卢大学成为加拿大唯一一所拥有全面X射线成像仪开发和表征设施的大学，并保持加拿大在数字X射线技术方面的全球领导地位。

The University of Waterloo is an international leader in digital X-ray technology, having facilitated the invention of one of the world’s highest-spatial-resolution digital X-ray imagers with a pixel pitch of just 6 microns, more than 10× smaller than a comparable commercially-available state-of-the-art X-ray imaging device. New applications are poised to emerge for this ultra-high resolution X-ray imager in medical, life science, and industrial imaging. Key leaders at the Canadian Light Source beam line and the U.S. National Labs synchrotron facility have already expressed keen interest in using these high-resolution detectors to explore new applications. Through this proposal, we request custom tools capable of packaging and characterizing high-resolution digital X-ray imagers during the engineering prototype development phase, as well for characterizing other novel X-ray imager technology under development, including mechanically-flexible, low-dose, and low-cost X-ray imagers. The characterization equipment will be housed in the university-level Giga-to-Nanoelectronics (G2N) facility and will be accessible to all G2N lab users (45 students and faculty annually from across ten departments) as well as local hospitals and digital imaging companies who would use the facility to characterize their existing X-ray equipment and perform troubleshooting on new products. The present infrastructure allows for testing and characterization of a wide variety of X-ray sensors in the medical, industrial and veterinary space, however, the present facilities do not have the ability to characterize high speed X-ray imagers, a high value niche that includes photon counting X-ray imagers for medical, NDT and scientific imaging. The PI and co-applicants are currently training over 30 HQP annually, and it is expected that at least half of these will be trained on X-ray and digital imager characterization and packaging using the proposed infrastructure for high speed X-ray detectors. The HQP trained will have a variety of hands-on skills due to the infrastructure including working with nano-second pulse X-ray sources, characterization setups such as X-ray pulse height spectroscopy and time of flight as well as high voltage encapsulation and packaging technology that is critical for fast X-ray imagers. The PI and co-applicants have a strong record of excellent HQP training, as evidenced by achievements of former HQP; graduates from applicants have found employment at Teledyne DALSA, Perkin Elmer, IBM, Intel, GE Healthcare, Apple, ON Semiconductor, USFDA, Omnivision, Christie Digital, Ignis, and two former students have started their own company. The proposed equipment will make Waterloo the only university in Canada with a comprehensive X-ray imager development and characterization facility and maintain Canada's global leadership in digital X-ray technology.