Characterisation of a pre-cell hit detector to be used in single cell irradiation experiments at the Lund Nucelar Michroprobe

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 266; no. n21; p. 4808
• Main Authors: Nilsson, Charlotta, Pallon, Jan, Thungström, Göran, Marrero, Natalia Arteaga, Elfman, Mikael, Kristiansson, Per, Nilsson, Christer, Wegden, Marie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Electrical engineering, electronics and photonics; Elektroteknik, elektronik och fotonik; STC - Sensible Things that Communicate; TECHNOLOGY; TEKNIKVETENSKAP
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2008.07.011

This paper describes the characterisation of an ultra-thin silicon semiconductor ΔE detector to be used as a pre-cell ion hit detector in single ion experiments on individual, living cells. The characteristics of interest for this specific application are the hit detection efficiency, which has to be close to 100% to enable bombardment with either a single ion or a counted number of ions, the beam spreading, which should be as small as possible to maintain the targeting accuracy, and the vacuum tightness, since the detector is intended, if possible, to be used simultaneously as vacuum window. The hit detection efficiency was shown to be above 99% when detecting alpha particles or 2 MeV protons, the increase in beam size was about 1 μm and the vacuum tightness was comparable to that of the Si 3 N 4 wafer which is normally used as vacuum window, thus the ΔE detector fulfils the main criteria to function properly as a single ion hit detector. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.