Buffer for a gamma-insensitive optical sensor with gas and a buffer assembly
First Claim
1. In a gamma-insensitive sensor comprising a cathode and an anode separated by a gap containing a gas and means for applying an electric potential between the anode and the cathode thereby producing an electric field in the gap, the improvement comprising:
- a buffer assembly positioned intermediate said cathode and said anode for preventing chemical incompatibility between materials constituting the cathode and the composition of the gas within the gap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A buffer assembly for a gamma-insensitive gas avalanche focal plane array operating in the ultra-violet/visible/infrared energy wavelengths and using a photocathode and an avalanche gas located in a gap between an anode and the photocathode. The buffer assembly functions to eliminate chemical compatibility between the gas composition and the materials of the photocathode. The buffer assembly in the described embodiment is composed of two sections, a first section constructed of glass honeycomb under vacuum and a second section defining a thin barrier film or membrane constructed, for example, of Al and Be, which is attached to and supported by the honeycomb. The honeycomb section, in turn, is supported by and adjacent to the photocathode.
21 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a gamma-insensitive sensor comprising a cathode and an anode separated by a gap containing a gas and means for applying an electric potential between the anode and the cathode thereby producing an electric field in the gap, the improvement comprising:
a buffer assembly positioned intermediate said cathode and said anode for preventing chemical incompatibility between materials constituting the cathode and the composition of the gas within the gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A gamma-insensitive sensor comprising:
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a cathode; an anode; said cathode and said anode being separated to form a gap there between; a buffer assembly positioned between said cathode and said anode and located adjacent said cathode; said anode including a plurality of anode pads defining a pattern; said gap containing a gas; means for applying an electric potential between the anode and the cathode for producing an electric field there between; and means for detecting electron avalanche charges on said anode pads. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An optical focal plane array, comprising:
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a planar monolithic quartz cathode plate; a semi-transparent photocathode layer disposed over a planar surface of the quartz plate; a planar monolithic anode plate, positioned parallel to the photocathode layer and separated therefrom by a narrow gap, with a first planar surface of the anode plate being closer to the photocathode layer than a second planar surface of the anode plate; a pixel array of anode pads disposed upon the first planar surface of the anode plate; a pixel array of contact pads disposed upon the second planar surface of the anode plate; means for electrically connecting each anode pad to a corresponding contact pad; a gas positioned within the narrow gap; a buffer assembly positioned between said photocathode layer and said gas to prevent chemical incompatibility there between; and means for impressing a voltage between the anode pads and the photocathode layer.
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Specification