S. Send

Sub-pixel resolution of a pnCCD for X-ray white beam applications

A new approach to achieve sub-pixel spatial resolution in a pnCCD detector with 75 × 75 μm2 pixel size is proposed for X-ray applications in single photon counting mode. The approach considers the energy dependence of the charge cloud created by a single photon and its split probabilities between neighboring pixels of the detector based on a rectangular model for the charge cloud density. For cases where the charge of this cloud becomes distributed over three or four pixels the center position of photon impact can be reconstructed with a precision better than 2 μm. The predicted charge cloud sizes are tested at selected X-ray fluorescence lines emitting energies between 6.4 keV and 17.4 keV and forming charge clouds with size (rms) varying between 8 μm and 10 μm respectively. The 2 μm enhanced spatial resolution of the pnCCD is verified by means of an x-ray transmission experiment throughout an optical grating.

Analysis of polycrystallinity in hen egg-white lysozyme using a pnCCD

A crystal of hen egg-white lysozyme was analyzed by means of energy-dispersive X-ray Laue diffraction with white synchrotron radiation at 2.7 A resolution using a pnCCD detector. From Laue spots measured in a single exposure of the arbitrarily oriented crystal, the lattice constants of the tetragonal unit cell could be extracted with an accuracy of about 2.5%. Scanning across the sample surface, Laue images with split reflections were recorded at various positions. The corresponding diffraction patterns were generated by two crystalline domains with a tilt of about 1° relative to each other. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the pnCCD for fast X-ray screening of crystals of macromolecules or proteins prior to conventional X-ray structure analysis. The described experiment can be automatized to quantitatively characterize imperfect single crystals or polycrystals.

Single-shot full strain tensor determination with microbeam X-ray Laue diffraction and a two-dimensional energy-dispersive detector

By simultaneously measuring changes in energy and reflection angle of Laue spots with respect to a reference position, it is possible to measure all lattice parameters of a unit cell and calculate the full strain/stress tensors in a single-shot experiment with high spatial resolution.

Extending the dynamic range of fully depleted pnCCDs

pnCCDs are a special type of charge coupled devices (CCD) which were originally developed for applications in X-ray astronomy. At X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFEL) pnCCDs are used as imaging X-ray spectrometers due to their outstanding characteristics like high readout speed, high and homogeneous quantum efficiency, low readout noise, radiation hardness and high pixel charge handling capacity. They can be used both as single-photon counting detectors for X-ray spectroscopy and as integrating detectors for X-ray imaging with count rates up to 104 photons of 1 keV per pixel and frame. However, extremely high photon intensities can result in pixel saturation and charge spilling into neighboring pixels. Because of this charge blooming effect, spatial information is reduced. Based on our research concerning the internal potential distribution we can enhance the pixel full well capacity even more and improve the quality of the image. This paper describes the influence of the operation voltages and space charge distribution of the pnCCD on the electric potential profile by using 2D numerical device simulations. Experimental results with signal injection from an optical laser confirm the simulation models.

Application of a pnCCD for energy-dispersive Laue diffraction with ultra-hard X-rays

In this work the spectroscopic performance of a pnCCD detector in the ultra-hard energy range between 40 and 140 keV is tested by means of an energy-dispersive Laue diffraction experiment on a GaAs crystal. About 100 Bragg peaks were collected in a single-shot exposure of the arbitrarily oriented sample to white synchrotron radiation provided by a wiggler at BESSY II and resolved in a large reciprocal-space volume. The positions and energies of individual Laue spots could be determined with a spatial accuracy of less than one pixel and a relative energy resolution better than 1%. In this way the unit-cell parameters of GaAs were extracted with an accuracy of 0.5%, allowing for a complete indexing of the recorded Laue pattern. Despite the low quantum efficiency of the pnCCD (below 7%), experimental structure factors could be obtained from the three-dimensional data sets, taking into account photoelectric absorption as well as Compton scattering processes inside the detector. The agreement between measured and theoretical kinematical structure factors calculated from the known crystal structure is of the order of 10%. The results of this experiment demonstrate the potential of pnCCD detectors for applications in X-ray structure analysis using the complete energy spectrum of synchrotron radiation.

Fast GPU-based spot extraction for energy-dispersive X-ray Laue diffraction

This paper describes a novel method for fast online analysis of X-ray Laue spots taken by means of an energy-dispersive X-ray 2D detector. Current pnCCD detectors typically operate at some 100 Hz (up to a maximum of 400 Hz) and have a resolution of 384 × 384 pixels, future devices head for even higher pixel counts and frame rates. The proposed online data analysis is based on a computer utilizing multiple Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which allow for fast and parallel data processing. Our multi-GPU based algorithm is compliant with the rules of stream-based data processing, for which GPUs are optimized. The papers main contribution is therefore an alternative algorithm for the determination of spot positions and energies over the full sequence of pnCCD data frames. Furthermore, an improved background suppression algorithm is presented.The resulting system is able to process data at the maximum acquisition rate of 400 Hz. We present a detailed analysis of the spot positions and energies deduced from a prior (single-core) CPU-based and the novel GPU-based data processing, showing that the parallel computed results using the GPU implementation are at least of the same quality as prior CPU-based results. Furthermore, the GPU-based algorithm is able to speed up the data processing by a factor of 7 (in comparison to single-core CPU-based algorithm) which effectively makes the detector system more suitable for online data processing.

Controlled charge extraction—antiblooming capabilities in pnCCD imaging sensors

Blooming in a CCD occurs when the signal charges accumulating in a pixel exceed the pixel saturation level and spill over into adjacent pixels. They start to spill over the weakest threshold in the electric potential of the pixel structure resulting in a degradation of the spatial information. With antiblooming mechanisms, the spatial resolution of the incoming photons can be preserved, but the intensity information is lost in the overflowing pixels. For imaging experiments, relying on a precise image structure, the preservation of the spatial resolution at the expense of precise intensity information is a workable compromise. In contrast to insulated gate CCDs, notably MOSCCDs, the potential wells of the pixel array of a pnCCD are created by p+n junctions, allowing direct electric access to the pixel structure. This allows to directly drain off charges from the pixels and to define a drain level by applying the appropriate operation voltages. Charge packets from 1 000 to more than one billion signal electrons per readout frame were generated without observing a spillover into adjacent pixels. As soon as the saturation level of the pixel is reached, the excess charge carriers are removed through charge drains exclusively created with the modification of the electric potential of the pnCCD by the operation voltages. No additional antiblooming structures were implemented in the device and the pixel full well capacity of approximately 300 000 electrons in standard operation mode was preserved. A physical model of the antiblooming mechanism of pnCCDs with a pixel size of 75 μ m × 75 μ m was established by two-dimensional numerical device simulations and verified by experiments.

Application of Energy Dispersive PNCCD Detector in Material Science using hard X-Rays

The pn-junction Charge Couple Device - pnCCD - is a versatile detector which offers the possibility to perform Energy-Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (EDXD) experiments using white Xray radiation. Because the point of impact on the detector area and the energy of a photon event is measured simultaneous EDXD allows for sample characterization without sample alignment or time-consuming rocking a sample, i.e. sample can be characterized by “one-shot” exposure. As an example for its application in material science we show an EDXD experiment performed at duplex stainless steel specimen treated by Very High Cycle Fatigue (VHCF). Probing the specimen in transmission geometry data acquisition could be realized within few seconds in an energy range between 5–40 keV. Due to the grain structure of sample various streaky Laue peaks appeared. Intensity and extension of the Laue streak varies as function of the position across the sample. Evaluating the intrinsic structure of Laue streaks it was found that the energy varies as position along the Laue streaks. Whereas for most of the detected Laue streaks their energy dependence follows Bragg´s law major deviations have been found at spatial positions of a crack formed due to VHCF treatment. This makes the EDXD method suitable for fast indication of defects positions along the sample.

Simultaneous acquisition of K-edge subtraction images using a pnCCD

The recent developments in the semiconductor detector technology, in particular the pnCCD, makes it possible to measure energy and position of X-rays after scattering with the specimen at the same time. An interesting application for such a device is the measurement of a contrast medium in vivo or in vitro using the K-edge subtraction method. The pnCCD detectors developed at the semiconductor laboratory of Max-Planck-Institute are well suited for such applications. They show very high quantum efficiencies in the energy range between 1–15 keV and can be used in a single photon counting mode. The pnCCD used for these experiments comprises 256×256 pixels with a pixel size of 75×75 μm2 and is equipped with a special analog frame buffer for high speed applications.