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Synchrotron Light Sources and Free-Electron Lasers pp 1–33Cite as

Hybrid Pixel Photon Counting X-Ray Detectors for Synchrotron Radiation

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Abstract

Detectors operated in single-photon counting mode have radically transformed basic research at synchrotron light sources since 2006. Hybrid photon counting (HPC) pixel detectors proved to be a disruptive technology for X-ray diffraction applications in the energy range from 2 to 30 keV. The main reason for this success is the accurate determination of scattering and diffraction patterns at the level of individual photons over an extremely high dynamic range.

The technology of photon counting detectors is based on segmented semiconductor sensors, which detect X-rays directly and guarantee very high stability and simple operation at room temperature. The sensors are coupled to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Based on modern CMOS technology, these ASICs process the electrical signal pulses from the sensor. The implementation of energy thresholds gives counting detectors the unique capability to determine the number of photons in a specific energy range for very high local and global count rates. The digital detection and processing avoid any readout noise and permit frame rates in the range of several thousand images per second. Combining these features in one device led to a transition from CCD-based detector systems to HPC detectors for applications like protein crystallography, small-angle scattering, and surface and powder diffraction and offers new opportunities in time-resolved experiments.

This article covers the technology of HPC detectors and their usage at synchrotrons. It describes the basic principles of the sensor readout ASIC and interconnection technology and highlights the properties of the detectors. In addition details about data correction procedures are given.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DECTRIS Ltd., Baden, Switzerland

    Christian Brönnimann & Peter Trüb

Authors
  1. Christian Brönnimann
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  2. Peter Trüb
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Brönnimann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Eberhard Jaeschke

  2. Zentrum für Synchrotronstrahlung, TU Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

    Shaukat Khan

  3. FS-CFEL-1, DESY, Hamburg, Germany

    Jochen R. Schneider

  4. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Linac Coherent Light Source, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, USA

    Jerome B. Hastings

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Brönnimann, C., Trüb, P. (2018). Hybrid Pixel Photon Counting X-Ray Detectors for Synchrotron Radiation. In: Jaeschke, E., Khan, S., Schneider, J., Hastings, J. (eds) Synchrotron Light Sources and Free-Electron Lasers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04507-8_36-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04507-8_36-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-04507-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-04507-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Hybrid Pixel Photon Counting X-Ray Detectors for Synchrotron Radiation
    Published:
    18 September 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04507-8_36-2

  2. Original

    Hybrid Pixel Photon Counting X-Ray Detectors for Synchrotron Radiation
    Published:
    25 February 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04507-8_36-1

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