Princeton Instruments has introduced two large-format, in-vacuum CCD cameras engineered for direct detection in vacuum applications from approximately 10 eV to 30 keV. Rated at 10–9 Torr, the new PI-MTE3 cameras are designed for applications such as x-ray microscopy, x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray phase contrast imaging, x-ray diffraction, deep-UV lithography and semiconductor metrology. An offset CCD detector provides close access to samples for small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and low-grazing-incidence applications.
PI-MTE3 2048B and 4096B camera models utilise 2000 × 2000 (30.7 × 30.7 mm) and 4000 × 4000 (61.4 × 61.4 mm) back-illuminated CCDs, respectively, to offer >95 % peak quantum efficiency. Due to their four-port readout architecture, these low-noise, 16-bit cameras provide frame rates up to 7× to 10× higher than previous-generation two-port cameras. The cameras’ liquid cooling results in low dark current, facilitating long integration times, whereas an advanced thermal design permits 24/7 operation in-vacuum.
