A new X-ray microcalorimeter based on a pixelated TES array

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 653 - 656
• Main Authors: Fukuda, D., Ohno, M., Takahashi, H., Kunieda, Y., Inou, T., Ohkubo, M., Ataka, M., Nakazawa, M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.2003; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Antennas; Applied sciences; Calorimetry; Electronics; Energy resolution; Exact sciences and technology; Image sensors; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Optical imaging; Physics; Prototypes; Radiocommunications; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Shape; Superconducting devices; Superconducting films; Superconductivity; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Temperature sensors; Testing, measurement, noise and reliability; Thermal instruments, apparatus and techniques; Voltage; X-ray imaging; Performance evaluation; Prototype; Test; Energy resolution; Bias voltage; Imaging; Measurement sensor; Position measurement; Superconducting transition
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2003.813986

We are developing a new x-ray microcalorimeter based on superconducting transition edge sensors (TES) as an imaging sensor. This device has ten pixelated transition edge sensors with Iridium superconductive films. When a constant bias voltage is applied to all pixels, each pixel is operated at slightly different equilibrium temperature. This arises from the different thermal responses between pixels, so that response signal shapes would vary according to the position of the incident x-ray. We have fabricated a prototype of the pixelated array and examined its performance. The position dependency measurements by scanning the collimated x-ray over the device have successfully shown that the device is able to resolve its pixel position. The energy resolution of a test device was 13.1 eV (FWHM) for 3 keV x-rays.