Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Ion beam evaluation of silicon carbide membrane structures intended for particle detectors

Pallon, J. LU ; Syväjärvi, M. ; Wang, Q. ; Yakimova, R. ; Iakimov, T. ; Elfman, M. LU ; Kristiansson, P. LU ; Nilsson, Charlotta LU and Ros, L. LU (2016) In Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 371. p.132-136
Abstract

Thin ion transmission detectors can be used as a part of a telescope detector for mass and energy identification but also as a pre-cell detector in a microbeam system for studies of biological effects from single ion hits on individual living cells. We investigated a structure of graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) with the purpose to explore a thin transmission detector with a very low noise level and having mechanical strength to act as a vacuum window. In order to reach very deep cavities in the SiC wafers for the preparation of the membrane in the detector, we have studied the Inductive Coupled Plasma technique to etch deep circular cavities in 325 μm prototype samples. By a special high temperature process the outermost layers of the... (More)

Thin ion transmission detectors can be used as a part of a telescope detector for mass and energy identification but also as a pre-cell detector in a microbeam system for studies of biological effects from single ion hits on individual living cells. We investigated a structure of graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) with the purpose to explore a thin transmission detector with a very low noise level and having mechanical strength to act as a vacuum window. In order to reach very deep cavities in the SiC wafers for the preparation of the membrane in the detector, we have studied the Inductive Coupled Plasma technique to etch deep circular cavities in 325 μm prototype samples. By a special high temperature process the outermost layers of the etched SiC wafers were converted into a highly conductive graphitic layer. The produced cavities were characterized by electron microscopy, optical microscopy and proton energy loss measurements. The average membrane thickness was found to be less than 40 μm, however, with a slightly curved profile. Small spots representing much thinner membrane were also observed and might have an origin in crystal defects or impurities. Proton energy loss measurement (also called Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy, STIM) is a well suited technique for this thickness range. This work presents the first steps of fabricating a membrane structure of SiC and graphene which may be an attractive approach as a detector due to the combined properties of SiC and graphene in a monolithic materials structure.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Graphene, ICP, Nuclear microprobe, Transmission detector
in
Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
volume
371
pages
5 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84960326383
  • wos:000373412000025
ISSN
0168-583X
DOI
10.1016/j.nimb.2015.10.045
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8a8171fc-3c50-4a1d-a3f0-c36b23d6de6d
date added to LUP
2016-09-19 10:40:55
date last changed
2024-01-04 12:36:27
@article{8a8171fc-3c50-4a1d-a3f0-c36b23d6de6d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Thin ion transmission detectors can be used as a part of a telescope detector for mass and energy identification but also as a pre-cell detector in a microbeam system for studies of biological effects from single ion hits on individual living cells. We investigated a structure of graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) with the purpose to explore a thin transmission detector with a very low noise level and having mechanical strength to act as a vacuum window. In order to reach very deep cavities in the SiC wafers for the preparation of the membrane in the detector, we have studied the Inductive Coupled Plasma technique to etch deep circular cavities in 325 μm prototype samples. By a special high temperature process the outermost layers of the etched SiC wafers were converted into a highly conductive graphitic layer. The produced cavities were characterized by electron microscopy, optical microscopy and proton energy loss measurements. The average membrane thickness was found to be less than 40 μm, however, with a slightly curved profile. Small spots representing much thinner membrane were also observed and might have an origin in crystal defects or impurities. Proton energy loss measurement (also called Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy, STIM) is a well suited technique for this thickness range. This work presents the first steps of fabricating a membrane structure of SiC and graphene which may be an attractive approach as a detector due to the combined properties of SiC and graphene in a monolithic materials structure.</p>}},
  author       = {{Pallon, J. and Syväjärvi, M. and Wang, Q. and Yakimova, R. and Iakimov, T. and Elfman, M. and Kristiansson, P. and Nilsson, Charlotta and Ros, L.}},
  issn         = {{0168-583X}},
  keywords     = {{Graphene; ICP; Nuclear microprobe; Transmission detector}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  pages        = {{132--136}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms}},
  title        = {{Ion beam evaluation of silicon carbide membrane structures intended for particle detectors}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2015.10.045}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.nimb.2015.10.045}},
  volume       = {{371}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}