Indirect Method and Apparatus for Cooling a Silicon Drift Detector

An apparatus for cooling a silicon drift detector (SDD) module comprising:

• a) an enclosure with a controlled environment maintained therein;
• b) at least one SDD module positioned within the enclosure;
• c) a cooling engine that generates substantially no heat within the controlled environment;
• d) a thermal conduction device comprising a first end thermally coupled to the cooling engine and a second end thermally coupled to the SDD module;
• and
• e) a heat removal device thermally coupled to the cooling engine,
• wherein the cooling engine cools the SDD module through the thermal conduction device and the heat removal device dissipates the heat generated by the cooling engine to an environment surrounding the enclosure.

A method of cooling at least one silicon drift detector (SDD) module comprising the steps of:

• positioning the SDD module within an enclosure that maintains a controlled environment;
• positioning a cooling engine remotely from the SDD module within the controlled environment in the enclosure;
• thermally coupling the SDD module to the cooling engine with a thermal conduction device;
• thermally coupling the cooling engine to a heat removal device;
• indirectly cooling the SDD module by transferring thermal energy through the thermal conduction device from the SDD module;
• and
• dissipating the heat generated by the cooling engine to an environment surrounding the enclosure with the heat removal device.

A thermal conduction device for use with an apparatus for the indirect cooling of a silicon drift detector (SDD) module comprising:

• a first end thermally coupled to the SDD module;
• a second end thermally coupled to a cooling engine;
• and
• an elongated body formed between the first end and the second end,
• wherein the thermal conduction device lowers the temperature of the SDD module by transferring thermal energy from the SDD module.