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In 2000, the requirements for a large TPC for experiments at a new linear collider were formulated. Both the GEM and Micromegas gas amplification systems had matured, such that they could be practically applied. With the Medipix chip, a pixel-segmented anode readout became possible, offering an unprecedented level of granularity and sensitivity. The single electron sensitive device is a digital detector capable to record and transfer all information of the primary ionization, provided that it can be made discharge proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbulk Micromegas (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) detectors are gaseous parallel plate detectors for the tracking of charged particles, used mainly in rare-event searches thanks to their intrinsic high radiopurity. The core of such detectors (mesh, pillars, and readout) can be produced through standard photolithography techniques starting from a single foil of copper-coated kapton. In particular, the quality of the mesh resulting from this process plays a crucial role in particle detection, and also in the energy resolution. The aim of this paper is to provide for the first time a method that allows to probe the quality of the mesh through image processing techniques. This method has been applied to nine detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]