Sydor Instruments, LLC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 09a

Description

The significant improvement of x-ray generating light sources have made experiments requiring shorter pulses of more intense light possible. As a consequence, insight into the material world using scattered x- rays is improving our understanding of nature. Unfortunately, x-ray detectors have not kept pace with the improvements to light sources and are the limiting factor in many experiments, particularly in the investigation of fast dynamic processes. Soft and tender x-ray detectors are even farther behind in development than the rest of the underdeveloped x-ray detector market. Detector technology often exists in national laboratories in proof-of-concept or prototype form that can address this void. However, it is beyond the charter of a laboratory to manufacture and support these technologies beyond their facility. Too often these technologies remain buried in the laboratory to the detriment of the broader scientific community. A novel direct-detection, soft x-ray imaging detector system exists within a national laboratory that will have application at x-ray light sources such as synchrotron storage rings, X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFEL), bench-top high harmonic generating (HHG) laser sources and the extreme ultra violet lithography marketplaces. This Fast CCD (FCCD) detector is capable of direct detection of soft x-rays with frame speeds well beyond the current state of the art and has demonstrated performance suitable for initial commercialization. A collaborative effort between the developers of the detector with a small business dedicated to transitioning technology into the marketplace, will reengineer the FCCD into a robust commercial camera that will rapidly fill the detector needs of the fast soft x-ray detector marketplace. The objective of the program is to leverage the laboratory research and development that has been completed to-date and commercialize the detector making it available to a broad scientific community by: transferring the know-how and expertise of the detector scientists to the commercial company, designing end-user centered features necessary for commercial deployment, and developing a roadmap to guide advancements, initial product performance, manufacturing and future product releases. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits A successful commercialization of this technology will narrow the gap between the x-rays generating capability of light sources of today and the detectors needed to make full use of them. As the gap narrows our understanding of the world grows. These cameras will have utility within a variety of experimental applications such as pump pulse coherent scattering, x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, scanning x-ray micro-diffraction, scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy and as the backbone detector of an EUVL inspection station.