# US 2014/0151564 A1 · Ion detector

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0151564 A1
- Document ID: US20140151564A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/232,086
- Filed: 2012-06-29
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-12
- Assignees: Isis Innovation Limited
- Inventors: Mark Brouard; Claire Vallance; Andrei Nomerotski; Renato Turchetta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151564A1

## CPC

- G01T 1/2006: {using a combination of a scintillator and photodetector which measures the means radiation intensity}
- G01T 1/20183: {Arrangements for preventing or correcting crosstalk, e.g. optical or electrical arrangements for correcting crosstalk}
- G01T 1/20185: {Coupling means between the photodiode and the scintillator, e.g. optical couplings using adhesives with wavelength-shifting fibres}
- G01T 1/20187: {Position of the scintillator with respect to the photodiode, e.g. photodiode surrounding the crystal, the crystal surrounding the photodiode, shape or size of the scintillator}
- H01J 49/025: {Detectors specially adapted to particle spectrometers (data acquisition H01J49/0036; detectors per se G01T, e.g. G01T1/28, G01T1/29)}
- G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

An ion detector (1) comprising a semi-conductor avalanche photodiode (4) and a scintillation layer (2), the scintillation layer having a thickness in the range 0.1 mm to 00 mm, the scintillation layer arranged to generate photons towards the photodiode resulting from ions impinging on the scintillation layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ion detector comprising a semi-conductor avalanche photodiode and a scintillation layer, the scintillation layer having a thickness in the range 0.1 μm to 100 μm, the scintillation layer arranged to generate photons towards the photodiode resulting from ions impinging on the scintillation layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 in which the photodiode has sensitivity to detect a single photon.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 in which the photodiode comprises a reversely biased photosensitive p-n junction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1, in which said semi-conductor avalanche photodiode comprises one of a spatially distributed array of avalanche photodiodes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A detector as claimed in claim 4 in which said spatially distributed array of avalanche photodiodes comprises a pixelated array of photodiodes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A detector as claimed in claim 4 in which the semi-conductor avalanche photodiode is a silicon-based photodiode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 in which the scintillation layer has been formed in situ on the semi-conductor avalanche photodiode by a deposition process.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 in which the scintillation layer is a pre-formed component attached to the semi-conductor avalanche photodiode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 which is capable of detecting ions having energies of the order of 0-100 keV.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 consisting of an integrated device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an optical lens located between the scintillator layer and the semi-conductor avalanche photodiode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 in which the thickness of the scintillator layer is less than a distance between photosensitive regions of neighbouring photodiodes of said spatially distributed array of avalanche photodiodes.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A detector as claimed in claim 12 in which the width of the photosensitive region is in the range 10 μm to 100 μm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A detector as claimed in claim 1 in which a thickness of the scintillator layer is in the range of 0.1 to tens of μm's.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A method of ion detection comprising use of the detector of claim 1.