SSGJ Opto-Mechanical Technology Corporation successfully developed a new generation of high-performance Microchannel Plate (MCP).
The microchannel plate uses multi-component lead-free glass as the substrate material and adopts the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology to prepare the functional layer. Compared with the traditional commercial lead-containing MCP, the process does not require hydrogen reduction, and successfully reduces the cost of the traditional MCP. The lead reduction layer generates noise caused by gas adsorption and K40 isotope β attenuation.
The new generation of high-performance MCP substrates can withstand higher baking temperatures, greatly reducing the outgassing of MCP devices and prolonging the service life of the devices. In addition, the new generation of high-performance MCP technology can independently fine-tune the volume resistance, which can meet the application requirements of different scenarios such as picosecond flight time measurement. The gain of the ALD-MCP sample developed by the SSGJ R&D team is better than 5×104 (@1000V), and the body resistance can be finely adjusted in the range of 20-200MΩ.
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The microchannel plate is an electron multiplying device with a multi-channel continuous dynode structure developed on the basis of a single-channel electron multiplier. Because of its unique gain, noise, spatial resolution, and time resolution characteristics, it becomes photons, electrons, and ions. The core device in detection and image enhancement/weak light signal amplification.
SSGJ uses ALD technology to deposit conductive layer and secondary electron emission layer functional materials on the inner wall of the microchannel, which realizes the separation of structural materials and functional materials, avoiding the contradiction between materials and performance in the traditional lead glass hydrogen reduction process. The matrix material can be Expanded to borosilicate glass materials, polymer materials and ceramic materials. The technology uses microelectronics technology, with high process repeatability, stable and reliable product performance, and can deposit materials with higher secondary electron emission coefficients, does not contain RoHS restricted substances, has low noise, high gain, long life, and can achieve larger area arrays Unique advantages such as detector parts.
NASA astrophysics expert Anton Tremsin believes that ALD technology will bring new developments of high-performance MCP and photodetectors with large area, high reliability, low cost, high gain, and low noise, which will open up many new applications. Including more cost-effective positron emission tomography (PET) medical imaging cameras, security inspections, high-energy particles, astrophysics, nuclear physics and other fields of particle detectors. In addition, it has broad application prospects in the fields of lidar, low-light night vision image intensifier, SEM and other analytical instruments, time-resolved fluorescence/Raman spectrometer, gated gated laser 3D imaging and other fields.
SSGJ has done a lot of research work in the fields of microchannel plate substrate material design and preparation technology, atomic layer deposition thin film materials and technology, single-photon sensitive detection device, ultra-high vacuum detection device packaging and other fields, and has rich experience in research and development of optoelectronic devices.