X-ray detector

A radiation detector comprising:

• a stack of adjacent interfacing plate means including electrode plates having front and rear edges and insulating plates selectively disposed between said electrode plates, the size of said insulating plates being less than predetermined ones of said electrode plates so that said insulating plates contribute to creating a gap between said predetermined plates,
• adhesive material disposed between and on nominally contacting portions of said plates, said adhesive material being deposited on limited areas of said plates and with sufficient thickness to space said plates nonuniformly initially, said adhesive material having the property of yielding when said plates are adjacent each other and subjected to compression to thereby establish the desired interspacing and total thickness dimensions of said plurality of plate means and having the property of solidifying to bond said plate means together and maintain said dimensions,
• means having walls defining a cavity for being filled with ionizable gas, and
• a radiation permeable window disposed in one of said walls, said stack of plates being supported in said cavity with said front edges of said predetermined electrode plates disposed along said window and adjacent said window to enable radiation passing through said window to enter the gas filled gaps between said plates.

A multi-cell radiation detector comprising:

• body means having walls defining a cavity and adapted for being filled with ionizable gas,
• radiation permeable window means disposed in one of said walls,
• an array of radiation detecting cells for being disposed in said cavity adjacent said window, said cells each including juxtaposed first and second metallic electrode plates having a gap between them and selectively arranged insulating plates and third metallic plates disposed between said first and second electrode plates to create said gap, said third plates being insulated from said first and second plates, said first and second plates being directed toward said window to enable radiation permeating said window to pass between said first and second plates,
• adhesive material disposed selectively between said plates for bonding said plates of a cell and adjacent cells together to form said array,
• at least some of said third plates having support means which are engageable to support said array in said body while maintaining said first and second electrode plates in electrically isolated relationship relative to said body, and
• means for making electrical connections between said first and second electrodes within said body to the outside thereof.

A radiation detector comprising:

• a body having walls defining an elongated cavity,
• a radiation permeable window in one of said walls,
• cover means engageable with said body to sealingly enclose said cavity for containing ionizable gas, said cover having a plurality of electric lead-throughs therein,
• an array of radiation detector cells and means for mounting said array on said cover means for being disposed adjacent said window in said cavity when said cover means is engaged,
• said cells in said array comprising:
• juxtaposed first and second electrode plates having a gap between them and selectively arranged insulating plates and third metallic plates disposed between said first and second plates to create said gap, said first and second plates having edges for being disposed adjacent said window and said plates being directed toward said window to enable radiation permeating said window to pass into said gap,
• adhesive material disposed selectively between said plates for bonding said plates of a cell and adjacent cells together to form said array and compensate for thickness variations in said plates, and
• lead-through means in said cover means for making electrical connections between said first and second electrode plates inside of said body to the outside thereof.

A method of making a multi-cell radiation detector comprising the steps of:

• selecting metallic electrode members and insulating members which are to be arranged in nominal contacting relation to form a cell,
• depositing viscous and yieldable adhesive material on selected areas of said electrodes and insulating members which are intended to interface,
• stacking said members for said viscous material to engage,
• pressing the stack so formed to cause said viscous material to flow until the desired overall thickness of the stack is obtained,
• allowing said viscous material to solidify to thereby bond said members together,
• anchoring said stack of bonded members in a container which has a radiation permeable window for allowing radiation to enter the cells, and
• filling said container with ionizable gas.

A method of making a multi-cell detector array which is comprised of a stack of metallic plates and insulating plates between them wherein it is desired to establish accurately the overall thickness dimension of the stack, comprising the steps of:

• depositing viscous and yieldable adhesive material to selected portions of plates which constitute a cell,
• stacking said plates of a cell in a form that defines the shape of said stack and that allows said adhesive material to engage said insulating plates and metallic plates,
• then when a predetermined number of cells have been assembled in said form, pressing the stack of cells to cause said adhesive material to flow and enable said stack to acquire the desired overall thickness dimension of said predetermined number of cells,
• allowing said viscous material to solidify to thereby bond said cells into a unit,
• depositing additional viscous and yieldable adhesive material on the ends of a plurality of such units,
• placing said units adjacent each other in a form and pressing them together to cause said adhesive material between adjacent ends to flow and enable the units to acquire the desired overall thickness dimension of the plurality of units,
• allowing said viscous material between said units to solidify to thereby bond said units and form a unitary stack of cells,
• anchoring said unitary stack of cells in a container which has a radiation permeable window for allowing radiation to enter said cells, and
• filling said container with ionizable gas.