Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM, MPPC) System for Cathodoluminescence

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 11:38:02 +0000

In How We Work, we gave an overview of how we build instruments, from the initial feasibility calculation (or photon budget) to delivery of the first production units.

Each project is different, of course, but there are common themes. Here’s a description of these steps from our most recent one at this writing (late January 2020), which is a low-cost cathodoluminescence detection system for use in scanning electron microscopes (SEMs).

Photon Budget

Cathodoluminescence Principles

A SEM works by scanning a tightly-focused beam of high-energy electrons (1 keV - 30 keV) across a sample, and looking at the stuff that comes out. For ordinary imaging you usually look at backscattered and secondary electrons, but there are other modes. For instance, you can get a lot of information about the sample’s chemical composition by looking at the x-rays it emits. Most samples will also emit some amount of light, a process called cathodoluminescence .

Thermoelectric Cooler on ElectroOptical Innovations

Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM, MPPC) System for Cathodoluminescence

Photon Budget

Cathodoluminescence Principles