Beyond single photon counting X-ray detectors

Synchrotron radiation applications require detectors with a high sensitivity and a large dynamic range in order to study both the strong and weak features of the samples. Moreover, a high spatial resolution is necessary for imaging and diffraction studies. The photon counting technique is currently the best solution to these requirements but it presents some limitations which can only be partially overcome by technological improvements i.e. the count loss at high impinging intensities, due to the readout electronics shaping time, and the restrictions on the minimum pixel size, due to the charge diffusion in the sensor. In order to overcome both these limitations a new generation of charge integrating hybrid detectors with single photon sensitivity is being developed. These preserve the advantages of counting detectors and at the same time allow a processing of the analog information in order to enhance the spatial resolution and perform some spectral analysis. A comparison between purely counting and analog readout for 50 and 25 μ m pitch microstrip detectors is presented in terms of spectral reconstruction capability and spatial resolution.