An indirect flat-panel detector with avalanche gain for low dose x-ray imaging: SAPHIRE (Scintillator Avalanche Photoconductor with High Resolution Emitter readout)

An indirect flat-imager with programmable avalanche gain and field emitter array (FEA) readout is being investigated for low-dose x-ray imaging with high resolution. It is made by optically coupling a structured x-ray scintillator CsI (Tl) to an amorphous selenium (a-Se) avalanche photoconductor called HARP (high-gain avalanche rushing photoconductor). The charge image created by HARP is read out by electron beams generated by the FEA. The proposed detector is called SAPHIRE (Scintillator Avalanche Photoconductor with High Resolution Emitter readout). The avalanche gain of HARP depends on both a-Se thickness and applied electric field E_se. At E_se of > 80 V/μm, the avalanche gain can enhance the signal at low dose (e.g. fluoroscopy) and make the detector x-ray quantum noise limited down to a single x-ray photon. At high exposure (e.g. radiography), the avalanche gain can be turned off by decreasing E_Se to < 70 V/μm. In this paper the imaging characteristics of the FEA readout method, including the spatial resolution and noise, were investigated experimentally using a prototype optical HARP-FEA image sensor. The potential x-ray imaging performance of SAPHIRE, especially the aspect of programmable gain to ensure wide dynamic range and x-ray quantum noise limited performance at the lowest exposure in fluoroscopy, was investigated.