Intensified CCD (ICCD) detectors from Jobin Yvon

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i-Spectrum ONE Intensified CCD (ICCD) Detectors

The i-Spectrum ONE family of Intensified CCD detectors is designed for sensitive scientific and spectroscopic measurements and is available with a wide selection of CCD sensors and image intensifiers. Every detector in this family offers superior performance in terms of gating frequency and speed, sensitivity, dynamic range, readout noise and spectral acquisition rates – all in a compact, rugged and economical package.

Chip Specifications:

Intensifier Specifications:

How an i-Spectrum ONE ICCD Detector Works

At the heart of each ICCD in the i-Spectrum ONE family is a scientific grade, thermo-electrically cooled Charged Coupled Detector (CCD) fiber optically coupled to a Grade I image intensifier. As its name suggest, the image intensifier amplifies the intensity of the light signal incident upon it, and this amplified signal is in turn detected by the CCD sensor. In addition to signal amplification, the image intensifier can be switched on and off extremely rapidly – on the order of a few nanoseconds - allowing it to act as a very fast electronic shutter. This controls the exact timing of the signal incident onto the CCD sensor, making these detectors ideal for nanosecond scale time resolved measurements of transient phenomena.

A schematic representation of a typical i-Spectrum ONE ICCD is shown in the figure to the right. As seen in this figure, the primary light sensing element in an ICCD is the image intensifier which consists of three parts: (i) a photocathode (ii) a microchannel plate (MCP) and (iii) a phosphor screen. During operation, optical photons are incident on the photocathode, which in turn emits electrons proportional to the incident photon intensity and the responsivity of the photocathode at the wavelength of the incident photons. This electron image is focused, by a small electric field, onto the MCP plate. The MCP plate is a thin disk consisting of an array of millions of glass capillaries (channels) fused together in a honeycombed structure. Each channel in this honeycomb is coated with thin resistive film and a large potential (typically 0.5 to 1 kV) is applied across the disk. Electrons entering the capillaries hit the wall and generate secondary electrons that are accelerated by the potential gradient and again collide with the walls. As a result of these multiple collisions along the channel a large number of electrons are produced by a cascading effect resulting in a pixel-by-pixel signal amplification of up to 10⁴of the electron image. This signal amplification, or gain, can be controlled by varying the voltage across the MCP. The amplified electron image at the output surface of the MCP is accelerated across a small gap by a potential of a few thousand volts where it strikes an aluminized phosphor screen on a fiber-optic output window with an energy of about 6 keV. The phosphor reconverts the amplified electron image back into photons that are then channeled onto the CCD sensor through the fiber optic taper and detected.

For high speed electronic gating, the intensifier is normally turned off by holding the photocathode electrode a few volts positive (typically +50V) with respect to the MCP. This prevents any photoelectrons generated in the photocathode from reaching the MCP. Thus the intensifier acts as an electronic shutter preventing light from reaching the CCD, causing the CCD sensor to be dark during this period. To gate the intensifier on, the voltage on the photocathode is made negative - typically – 160 to –200 V. This causes the generated photoelectrons to accelerate towards the MCP, get amplified in intensity and be detected by the CCD sensor.

ICCD Detector

i-Spectrum ONE Intensified CCD (ICCD) Detectors

Chip Specifications:

Intensifier Specifications:

How an i-Spectrum ONE ICCD Detector Works