Absorber materials for transition-edge sensor X-ray microcalorimeters

A. D. Brown; S. R. Bandler; R. Brekosky; J. A. Chervenak; E. Figueroa-Feliciano; F. Finkbeiner; N. Iyomoto; R. L. Kelley; C. A. Kilbourne; F. S. Porter; S. Smith; T. Saab; J. Sadleir

doi:10.1007/s10909-007-9669-2

Absorber materials for transition-edge sensor X-ray microcalorimeters

A. D. Brown^*, S. R. Bandler, R. Brekosky, J. A. Chervenak, E. Figueroa-Feliciano, F. Finkbeiner, N. Iyomoto, R. L. Kelley, C. A. Kilbourne, F. S. Porter, S. Smith, T. Saab, J. Sadleir

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

Arrays of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) can provide high spatial and energy resolution necessary for X-ray astronomy. High quantum efficiency and uniformity of response can be achieved with a suitable absorber material, in which absorber X-ray stopping power, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity are relevant parameters. Here we compare these parameters for bismuth and gold. We have fabricated electroplated gold, electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, and evaporated gold/evaporated bismuth 8 × 8 absorber arrays and find that a correlation exists between the residual resistance ratio (RRR) and thin film microstructure. This finding indicates that we can tailor absorber material conductivity via microstructure alteration, so as to permit absorber thermalization on timescales suitable for high energy resolution X-ray microcalorimetry. We show that by incorporating absorbers possessing large grain size, including electroplated gold and electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, into our current Mo/Au TES, devices with tunable heat capacity and energy resolution of 2.4 eV (gold) and 2.1 eV (gold/bismuth) FWHM at 5.9 keV have been fabricated.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	413-417
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Low Temperature Physics
Volume	151
Issue number	1-2 PART 1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-007-9669-2
State	Published - Apr 2008

Keywords

Calorimeters
Electroplating
Transition-edge sensors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Materials Science(all)
Condensed Matter Physics

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10.1007/s10909-007-9669-2

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Brown, A. D., Bandler, S. R., Brekosky, R., Chervenak, J. A., Figueroa-Feliciano, E., Finkbeiner, F., Iyomoto, N., Kelley, R. L., Kilbourne, C. A., Porter, F. S., Smith, S., Saab, T., & Sadleir, J. (2008). Absorber materials for transition-edge sensor X-ray microcalorimeters. Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 151(1-2 PART 1), 413-417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-007-9669-2

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title = "Absorber materials for transition-edge sensor X-ray microcalorimeters",

abstract = "Arrays of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) can provide high spatial and energy resolution necessary for X-ray astronomy. High quantum efficiency and uniformity of response can be achieved with a suitable absorber material, in which absorber X-ray stopping power, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity are relevant parameters. Here we compare these parameters for bismuth and gold. We have fabricated electroplated gold, electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, and evaporated gold/evaporated bismuth 8 × 8 absorber arrays and find that a correlation exists between the residual resistance ratio (RRR) and thin film microstructure. This finding indicates that we can tailor absorber material conductivity via microstructure alteration, so as to permit absorber thermalization on timescales suitable for high energy resolution X-ray microcalorimetry. We show that by incorporating absorbers possessing large grain size, including electroplated gold and electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, into our current Mo/Au TES, devices with tunable heat capacity and energy resolution of 2.4 eV (gold) and 2.1 eV (gold/bismuth) FWHM at 5.9 keV have been fabricated.",

keywords = "Calorimeters, Electroplating, Transition-edge sensors",

author = "Brown, {A. D.} and Bandler, {S. R.} and R. Brekosky and Chervenak, {J. A.} and E. Figueroa-Feliciano and F. Finkbeiner and N. Iyomoto and Kelley, {R. L.} and Kilbourne, {C. A.} and Porter, {F. S.} and S. Smith and T. Saab and J. Sadleir",

note = "Funding Information: A.-D. Brown{\textquoteright}s and S. Smith{\textquoteright}s research was supported in part by appointments to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through a contract with NASA.",

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doi = "10.1007/s10909-007-9669-2",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Brown, A. D.

AU - Bandler, S. R.

AU - Brekosky, R.

AU - Chervenak, J. A.

AU - Figueroa-Feliciano, E.

AU - Finkbeiner, F.

AU - Iyomoto, N.

AU - Kelley, R. L.

AU - Kilbourne, C. A.

AU - Porter, F. S.

AU - Smith, S.

AU - Saab, T.

AU - Sadleir, J.

N1 - Funding Information: A.-D. Brown’s and S. Smith’s research was supported in part by appointments to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through a contract with NASA.

PY - 2008/4

Y1 - 2008/4

N2 - Arrays of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) can provide high spatial and energy resolution necessary for X-ray astronomy. High quantum efficiency and uniformity of response can be achieved with a suitable absorber material, in which absorber X-ray stopping power, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity are relevant parameters. Here we compare these parameters for bismuth and gold. We have fabricated electroplated gold, electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, and evaporated gold/evaporated bismuth 8 × 8 absorber arrays and find that a correlation exists between the residual resistance ratio (RRR) and thin film microstructure. This finding indicates that we can tailor absorber material conductivity via microstructure alteration, so as to permit absorber thermalization on timescales suitable for high energy resolution X-ray microcalorimetry. We show that by incorporating absorbers possessing large grain size, including electroplated gold and electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, into our current Mo/Au TES, devices with tunable heat capacity and energy resolution of 2.4 eV (gold) and 2.1 eV (gold/bismuth) FWHM at 5.9 keV have been fabricated.

AB - Arrays of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) can provide high spatial and energy resolution necessary for X-ray astronomy. High quantum efficiency and uniformity of response can be achieved with a suitable absorber material, in which absorber X-ray stopping power, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity are relevant parameters. Here we compare these parameters for bismuth and gold. We have fabricated electroplated gold, electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, and evaporated gold/evaporated bismuth 8 × 8 absorber arrays and find that a correlation exists between the residual resistance ratio (RRR) and thin film microstructure. This finding indicates that we can tailor absorber material conductivity via microstructure alteration, so as to permit absorber thermalization on timescales suitable for high energy resolution X-ray microcalorimetry. We show that by incorporating absorbers possessing large grain size, including electroplated gold and electroplated gold/electroplated bismuth, into our current Mo/Au TES, devices with tunable heat capacity and energy resolution of 2.4 eV (gold) and 2.1 eV (gold/bismuth) FWHM at 5.9 keV have been fabricated.

KW - Calorimeters

KW - Electroplating

KW - Transition-edge sensors

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ER -

Absorber materials for transition-edge sensor X-ray microcalorimeters

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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