Silicon-micromachined microchannel plates
2000, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
Sign up for access to the world's latest research
Abstract
Microchannel plates (MCP) fabricated from standard silicon wafer substrates using a novel silicon micromachining process, together with standard silicon photolithographic process steps, are described. The resulting SiMCP microchannels have dimensions of &0.5 to &25 m, with aspect ratios up to 300, and have the dimensional precision and absence of interstitial defects characteristic of photolithographic processing, compatible with positional matching to silicon electronics readouts. The open channel areal fraction and detection e$ciency may exceed 90% on plates up to 300 mm in diameter. The resulting silicon substrates can be converted entirely to amorphous quartz (qMCP). The strip resistance and secondary emission are developed by controlled depositions of thin "lms, at temperatures up to 12003C, also compatible with high-temperture brazing, and can be essentially hydrogen, water and radionuclide-free. Novel secondary emitters and cesiated photocathodes can be high-temperature deposited or nucleated in the channels or the "rst strike surface. Results on resistivity, secondary emission and gain are presented.
FAQs
AI
What advantages do silicon microchannel plates offer over glass MCPs?add
The study reveals that silicon MCPs achieve higher dimensional precision and eliminate fabrication defects, unlike glass variants. Additionally, SiMCPs support processing at elevated temperatures up to 1400°C, enhancing performance and longevity.
How do pore sizes and aspect ratios of SiMCPs impact performance?add
The findings indicate that SiMCPs can have adjustable pore sizes between 0.5 and 25 micrometers with aspect ratios exceeding 300:1, leading to significantly improved image resolution. High open pore fractions of over 95% also contribute to enhanced detection efficiency.
What methods were used to achieve electrical isolation in SiMCPs?add
The research demonstrates a two-step isolation strategy using thermal oxidation to create an oxide layer plus a subsequent deposition of a resistive strip layer. This allows effective electrical isolation, maintaining secondary electron gain performance.
What secondary emission performance was observed in the SiMCP materials?add
Secondary emission yields reached up to 4 with optimized Si/SiOv films at incident energies between 300 and 400 eV. Moreover, the study highlights the high gain potential with coatings like crystalline diamond, achieving secondary gains between 60 to 80 at 1-2 keV.
How do SiMCPs facilitate compatibility with cesiated photocathodes?add
The study finds that SiMCPs are fully chemically compatible with cesiated cathodes, allowing for direct deposition on MCP surfaces. This compatibility may confer both performance and cost advantages over traditional lead glass MCPs.
Related papers
Advanced Technology and Particle Physics, 2002
We report on the latest developments in position sensitive photon counting detectors based on microchannel plates. Substantial improvement of the spatial resolution was achieved with introduction of new readout technology, namely crossed strip (XS) anode, and corresponding processing electronics. The spatial resolution of XS readout appeared to be as small as ~3-4 µm FWHM. Reduction of the total detector gain (down to 10 6 and potentially lower) without compromising the spatial accuracy allows detector operation at much higher local and global counting rates since the microchannel recharge time becomes smaller. Recent developments of novel microchannel plate technologies provide basis for substantial increase of the spectral sensitivity and quantum efficiency of MCP detectors. We have tested a number of new Silicon micromachined MCPs The new MCP technologies should allow deposition of completely new photocathode materials directly on the front surface of microchannel plates (opaque photocathodes). Opposite to standard glass MCPs new Silicon MCPs can sustain high temperatures (~800 C o ) required for the photocathode deposition and activation processes.
Physics Procedia, 2012
We demonstrate an economical and robust route to fabricate large-area microchannel plate (MCP) detectors which will open new opportunities in larger area MCP-based detector technologies. Using our newly developed bottom-up process flow, we have fabricated large area MCPs (8"x8"). We used Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), a powerful and precise thin film deposition technique, to tailor the electrical resistance and secondary electron emission (SEE) properties of large area, low cost, borosilicate glass capillary arrays. The self limiting growth mechanism in ALD allows atomic level control over the thickness and composition of resistive and secondary electron emission (SEE) layers that can be deposited conformally on high aspect ratio capillary glass arrays. We have developed several robust and reliable ALD processes for the resistive coatings and SEE layers to give us precise control over the resistance in the target range for MCPs (10 6-10 9) and SEE coefficient (up to 8). The MCPs are tested in stacks of one or two plates and exhibit gains as high as 10 7 for a pair of MCPs. This approach allows the functionalization of microporous, insulating substrates to produce MCPs with high gain and low noise. These capabilities allow separation of the substrate material properties from the amplification properties. We studied the various MCP parameters such as gain, background counts, and resistance as a function of the ALD process parameters. Here we describe a complete process flow to produce fully functionalized working large area MCPs.
Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 2015
In this paper we present a compact technological demonstrator including on the same glass substrate an electrowetting-on-dielectrics (EWOD) system, a linear array of amorphous silicon photosensor and a capillary-driven microfluidic channel. The proposed system comprises also a compact modular electronics controlling the digital microfluidics through the USB interface of a computer. The system provides therefore both on-chip detection and microfluidic handling needed for the realization of a 'true' Lab-on-Chip. The geometry of the photosensors has been designed to maximize the radiation impinging on the photosensor and to minimize the inter-site crosstalk, while the fabrication process has been optimized taking into account the compatibility of all the technological steps for the fabrication of the EWOD system, the photosensor array and the microfluidics channels. As a proof of the successful integration of the different technological steps we demonstrated the ability of the a-Si:H photosensors to detect the presence of a droplet over an EWOD electrode and the effective coupling between the digital and the continuous microfluidics, that can allow for functionalization, immobilization and recognition of biomolecules without external optical devices or microfluidic interconnections.
Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 2015
In this paper we have integrated a two-channel microfluidic network, fabricated by molding two polydimethilsiloxane channels, with a balanced photodiode constituted by two series-connected amorphous silicon/silicon carbide n-i-p stacked junctions, deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition on a glass substrate. The structure takes advantage of the differential current measurement to reveal very small variations of photocurrent in a large background current signal suitable for biomedical application. The microfluidic network has been fabricated with dimensions of 3 cm  2 mm  150 lm (L  W  H) for each channel. The experiments have been carried out measuring the differential current in several conditions. All the experiments have been executed under a large background light intensity to reproduce realistic operating conditions in biomedical applications. We have found that the proposed device is able to detect the presence or absence of water flow in the channel and the presence of fluorescent marker. In particular, under identical channel conditions the differential current is at least a factor 60 lower that the current flowing in each diode.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 2016
Microchannel plates (MCPs) have been used for many years in space flight instrumentation as fast, lightweight electron multipliers. A new MCP fabrication method combines a glass substrate composed of hollow glass capillary arrays with thin film coatings to provide the resistive and secondary electron emissive properties. Using this technique, the gain, resistance, and glass properties may be chosen independently. Large-area MCPs are available at moderate cost. Secondary emission films of Al 2 O 3 and MgO provide sustained high gain as charge is extracted from the MCP. Long lifetimes are possible, and a total extracted charge of 7 C/cm 2 has been demonstrated. Background rates are low because the glass substrate has little radioactive potassium 40. Curved MCPs are easily fabricated with this technique to suit instrument symmetries, simplifying secondary electron steering and smoothing azimuthal efficiency.
1992
Micromechanical structures in silicon are usually fabricated by photolithography and anisotropic etching. While the shape and the size of the pattern on the wafer surface are defined by a masking layer, the dimension of the microstructures perpendicular to the wafer surface depends mainly on the crystallographic orientation of the wafer. Our work presents a method for the fabrication of new types of microstructures with high aspect ratio. This technique is based on the local destruction of limiting { 111) crystal planes by laser melting and anisotropic etching of the molten zones. Although the shape and the size of the microchannels are lithographically predetennined, their aspect ratio can be modified by the parameters of the laser beam. The partially closed form of these microchannels is suitable for precise positioning of fibers in hybrid microoptical devices and transport systems for gases and liquids.
Optical Materials
A micro-resonator based on porous silicon ridge waveguides is implemented by a large scale standard photolithography process to obtain a low cost and sensitive sensor based on volume detection principle instead of the evanescent one usually used. The porous nature of the ridge waveguides allows the target molecules to be infiltrated in the core and to be detected by direct interaction with the propagated light. Racetrack resonator with radius of 100 µm and a coupling length of 70 µm is optically characterized for the volume detection of different concentrations of glucose. A high sensitivity of 560 nm/RIU is reached with only one micro-resonator and a limit of detection of 8.10-5 RIU, equivalent to a glucose concentration of 0.7 g/L, is obtained.
2015 XVIII AISEM Annual Conference, 2015
Silicon radiation sensors fabricated with micromachining technologies offer a number of advantages compared to their planar counterparts, making them appealing for an increasing number of applications. This paper provides an overview of the most interesting developments in this field by Fondazione Bruno Kessler in collaboration with the University of Trento.
IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2000
A new method for the fabrication of micro structures for fluidic applications, such as channels, cavities, and connector holes in the bulk of silicon wafers, called buried channel technology (BCT), is presented in this paper. The micro structures are constructed by trench etching, coating of the sidewalls of the trench, removal of the coating at the bottom of the trench, and etching into the bulk of the silicon substrate. The structures can be sealed by deposition of a suitable layer that closes the trench. BCT is a process that can be used to fabricate complete micro channels in a single wafer with only one lithographic mask and processing on one side of the wafer, without the need for assembly and bonding. The process leaves a substrate surface with little topography, which easily allows further processing, such as the integration of electronic circuits or solid-state sensors. The essential features of the technology, as well as design rules and feasible process schemes, will be demonstrated on examples from the field of -fluidics. [482]
Proceedings
A composite, capillary-driven microfluidic system suitable for transmitted light microscopy of cells (e.g., red and white human blood cells) is fabricated and demonstrated. The microfluidic system consists of a microchannels network fabricated in a photo-patternable adhesive polymer on a quartz substrate, which, by means of adhesive bonding, is then connected to a silicon microfluidic die (for processing of the biological sample) and quartz die (to form the imaging chamber). The entire bonding process makes use of a very low temperature budget (200 °C). In this demonstrator, the silicon die consists of microfluidic channels with transition structures to allow conveyance of fluid utilizing capillary forces from the polymer channels to the silicon channels and back to the polymer channels. Compared to existing devices, this fully integrated platform combines on the same substrate silicon microfluidic capabilities with optical system analysis, representing a portable and versatile lab-...
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.
References (11)
- B. Sandel et al., Appl. Opt. 16 (1977) 1435.
- F. Bennett, D. Thorpe, J. Phys. E 3 (1970) 241.
- G.W. Tasker, J.R. Horton, J.J. Fijol, Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 192 (1990) 459.
- G.W. Tasker, J. R. Horton, US Patent 5,378,960, 1995.
- P. Sichanugrist, T. Yoshida, Y. Ichikawa, H. Sakai, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 164 (1993) 1081.
- W.T. Pawlewicz, J. Appl. Phys. 49 (1978) 5595.
- J. Sangrador, I. Esquivias, T. Rodriguez, J. Sanz-Maudes, Thin Solid Films 125 (1985) 79.
- G. Tasker et al., SPIE Proc. V2640 (1995) 58.
- H. Seiler, J. Appl. Phys. 54 (11) (1983) R1.
- J. Fijol et al., Appl. Surf. Sci 48/49 (1991) 464.
- G. Tasker et al., Thin-"lm amorphous silicon dynodes for electron multiplication, MRS Symposium, Vol. 192, (1990), 459 p.