# US 6,847,036 B1 · Charged particle beam detection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,847,036 B1 - Document ID: US6847036B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/744,360 - Filed: 1999-10-06 - Granted: 2005-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 1999-01-22 - Assignees: University of Washington - Inventors: Robert Bruce Darling; Adi A. Scheidemann; Frank J. Schumacher IV; Patrick L. Jones - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6847036B1 ## CPC - H01J 49/025: {Detectors specially adapted to particle spectrometers (data acquisition H01J49/0036; detectors per se G01T, e.g. G01T1/28, G01T1/29)} - H01J 49/10: Ion sources; Ion guns - H01J 2237/24507: Intensity, dose or other characteristics of particle beams or electromagnetic radiation - H01J 2237/24542: Beam profile - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A charged particle beam detection system (10) that includes a Faraday cup detector array (FCDA) for position-sensitive charged particle beam detection is described. The FCDA is combined with an electronic multiplexing unit (MUX) (2) that allows collecting and intgrating the charge deposited in the array, and simultaneously reading out the same. The duty cycle for collecting the ions is greater than 98%. This multiplexing (2) is achieved by collecting the charge with a large number of small and electronically decoupled Faraday cups. Because Faraday cups collect the charge independent of their charge state, each cup is both a collector and an integrator. The ability of the Faraday cup to integrate the charge, in combination with the electronic multiplexing unit (2), which reads out and empties the cups quickly compared to the charge integration time, provides the almost perfect duty cycle for this position-sensitive charged particle detector (10). The device (10) measures further absolute ion currents, has a wide dynamic range from 1.7 pA to 1.2 μA with a crosstalk of less than 750:1. The integration of the electronic multiplexing unit (2) with the FCDA further allows reducing the number of feedthroughs that are needed to operate the detector (10). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A Faraday cup detector array, comprising: (a) a plurality of Faraday cups; (b) a partially insulated conductive housing in which the plurality of cups is supported, the conductive housing being electrically connected to a reference potential; and (c) means for electrically connecting the plurality of cups to an electronic interface, wherein each Faraday cup has a unit cell comprising two conductive material-clad insulating walls separated by a U-shaped conductive material, each insulating wall having a first conductive surface in electrical contact with the U-shaped conductive material and a second conductive surface electrically connected to the reference potential, the U-shaped conductive material and two first conductive surfaces defining a conductive cup, and wherein each unit cell includes a means for electrically connecting the conductive cup to the electronic interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1, wherein the conductive housing comprises aluminum. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1, wherein the reference potential is ground potential. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1, wherein the conductive material comprises copper. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1, wherein the conductive material-clad insulating wall comprises a copper/fiberglass/copper laminate sheet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1, wherein the means for electrically connecting the conductive cup to the electronic interface is selected from the group consisting of a metal wire and a metal foil. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1 comprising 64 Faraday cups. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The array of claim 1 comprising 256 Faraday cups. ### Claim 9 A Faraday cup detector array, comprising: (a) a plurality of Faraday cups; (b) a partially insulated conductive housing in which the plurality of cups is supported, the conductive housing being electrically connected to a reference potential, wherein the cup comprises a conductive material isolated from the housing through an insulator, wherein the conductive housing comprises an oxidizable metal block having a length, width, and thickness, and a plurality of channels machined through its thickness for receiving the cups, wherein the block is bonded to an insulating substrate having means for electrically connecting the cup to an electronic interface, the means for electrically connecting the cup to the interface being in electrical connection with the cup. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the oxidizable metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, and titanium. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the conductive material comprises copper. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the reference potential is ground potential. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the insulator comprises aluminum oxide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the insulating substrate comprises a printed circuit board. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the means for electrically connecting the cup to the electronic interface is a trace on a printed circuit board. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, comprising 64 Faraday cups. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, comprising 256 Faraday cups. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The array of claim 9, wherein the array is a two-dimensional array. ### Claim 19 A Faraday cup detector array, comprising: (a) a plurality of Faraday cups; (b) a partially insulated conductive housing in which the plurality of cups is supported, the conductive housing being electrically connected to a reference potential, wherein the cup comprises a conductive material isolated from the housing through an insulator, wherein the conductive housing comprises a silicon wafer having a length, width, and thickness, and a plurality of wells formed into its thickness for receiving the cups; and (c) means for electrically connecting the cup to an electronic interface, the means for electrically connecting the cup to the interface being in electrical connection with the cup. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of polysilicon and tungsten. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the reference potential is ground potential. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the insulator comprises silicon dioxide. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the means for electrically connecting the cup to the electronic interface is a wire. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, comprising 64 Faraday cups. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, comprising 256 Faraday cups. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the array is a linear array. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the array is a two-dimensional array. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the wells are formed by a deep reactive ion etching process. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, wherein the wells are formed by an anisotropic hydroxide etching process. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The array of claim 19, having a pitch from about 100 μm to about 500 μm.