TERX Detection System

The TERX detection system is used to measure x-ray spectra at Electron Beam Ion Sources in dependence on the ionisation time and in dependence on the electron energy. The system needs to be combined with an x-ray detector. An appropriate detector is listed as optional equipment in the table at the end of this document. It is possible to use a customer-specific detector if certain requirements are fulfilled, see table of technical parameters.

Functional Principle

The TERX Detection System controls the source potential and trap cycle of the ion source. The x-ray events are counted directly from the X-ray detector and sorted in a time or energy matrix.

In time resolved measurement mode, the ion trap is controlled by the TERX system while the x-ray detector analyzes the incoming x-ray events and gives the x-ray energy information to a 12 pin output connector. The TERX system sorts the signal into a time-energy matrix. This matrix is sent to the control PC. A summary of the functional principle of this measurement mode is shown in Figure 1. The minimum possible time resolution of the measurement system is 1 ms. An example for a time resolved x-ray measurement is given in Figure 2.

The energy resolved x-ray measurement is done in a measurement loop, displayed in Figure 3. The trap potential is set by the TERX system. The trap potential is increased stepwise and in each measurement loop the X-ray events during a trap cycle are stored and are labelled by the corresponding trap potential. The minimal possible trap potential resolution depends on the accuracy of the drift tube potential unit.

As an example for the (electron beam) energy resolved measurement mode, a measurement of the dielectronic recombination (DR) and radiative recombination (RR) lines of Krypton ions is shown in Figure 4. The data was recorded with the provided data acquisition software. With this software, the data can be processed, used to create graphs, and saved for further applications.