Gas electron multiplier and manufacturing method for gas electron multiplication foil used for same as well as radiation detector using gas electron multiplier

• US 7,994,483 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riken, SCIenergy, Inc., University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Riken, SCIenergy, Inc., University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Hamagaki, Hideki, Tamagawa, Toru, Koshimuta, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eley; Jessica L
• Application Number:
  US12/224,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20090084972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 250/388, 250/374, 250/385.1
• US Class Current: 250/374
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/18 with counting-tube arrangements, e.g. with Geiger counters tubes H01J47/08; with alarm provision G01T7/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 3/025 Electron guns using a discharge in a gas or a vapour as electron source gas-filled discharge tubes with gaseous cathodes H01J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 47/02 Ionisation chambers

Abstract

To attain objects to reduce the spread of electrons as compared with a conventional one without degrading the multiplication factor of electrons; to provide a large electron multiplication factor; and to improve positional resolution, there is provided a gas electron multiplier using interaction between radiation and gas through photoelectric effects including: a chamber filled with gas and a single gas electron multiplication foil arranged in the chamber wherein the gas electron multiplication foil is made of a plate-like multilayer body composed by having a plate-like insulation layer made of a macromolecular polymer material having a thickness of around 100 μm to 300 μm and flat metal layers overlaid on both surfaces of the insulation layer, and the plate-like multilayer body is provided with a through-hole structure.

Claims

1. A gas electron multiplier using interaction between radiation and gas through photoelectric effects, comprising:

a chamber filled with gas; and

a single gas electron multiplication foil arranged in the said chamber, wherein

the said gas electron multiplication foil is made of a plate-like multilayer body which is composed of a multilayer body where multiple plate-like insulation layers made of a macromolecular polymer material are stacked with a flat metal layer sandwiched in between and flat metal layers overlaid on both surfaces of said multilayer body,

the flat metal layer having a thickness of approximately 5 μ

m sandwiched in between said multiple plate-like insulation layers and the flat metal layers overlaid on both surfaces of said multilayer body each have a thickness of approximately 5 μ

m and

the said plate-like multilayer is provided with a through-hole structure, said through-hole structure extending in the direction perpendicular to a plane of the flat metal layer sandwiched in between said multiple plate-like insulation layers and the flat metal layers overlaid on both surfaces of said multilayer body.

2. The gas electron multiplier according to claim 1, wherein

the total thickness of the said multiple insulation layers is 100 μ

m to 600 μ

m.

3. A radiation detector utilizing a gas electron multiplier using interaction between radiation and gas through photoelectric effects, wherein the said gas electron multiplier is the gas electron multiplier according to claim 2.

4. A radiation detector utilizing a gas electron multiplier using interaction between radiation and gas through photoelectric effects, wherein

the said gas electron multiplier is the gas electron multiplier according to claim 1.

5. The gas electron multiplier according to claim 1, the through-hole structure having a width, the entire width of the through-hole structure having a substantially constant length.

6. A manufacturing method for a gas electron multiplication foil used in a gas electron multiplier using interaction between radiation and gas through photoelectric effects, comprising:

overlaying flat metal layers on both surfaces of a plate-like insulation layer made of a macromolecular polymer material having a thickness of 50 μ

m to 300 μ

m;

etching the said metal layers to a predetermined pattern;

stacking a resultant of overlaying a flat metal layer on one surface of a plate-like insulation layer, which is made of a macromolecular polymer material having a thickness of 50 μ

m to 300 μ

m, on one or both surfaces of the said metal layers;

etching outermost metal layers of the resultant obtained in the stacking step in accordance with the said predetermined pattern;

removing all of the said insulating films through irradiation with a laser beam applied perpendicularly to the plane of said outermost metal layers in accordance with the said predetermined pattern;

creating a through-hole extending in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the metal layers on the said outermost surfaces; and

carrying out a desmear process using plasma and a chemical on surfaces of the said metal layers and a wall surface of the through-hole in the said insulation layers, wherein said metal layers have a thickness of approximately 5 μ

m.