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Small Pitch Transition-Edge Sensors with Broadband High Spectral Resolution for Solar Physics

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Abstract

We are developing small pitch transition-edge sensor (TES) X-ray detectors optimized for solar astronomy. These devices are fabricated on thick Si substrates with embedded Cu heat-sink layer. We use 35×35 μm2 Mo/Au TESs with 4.5 μm thick Au absorbers. We have tested devices with different geometric absorber stem contact areas with the TES and surrounding substrate area. This allows us to investigate the loss of athermal phonons to the substrate. Results show a correlation between the stem contact area and a broadening in the spectral line shape indicative of athermal phonon loss. When the contact area is minimized we have obtained exceptional broadband spectral resolution of 1.28±0.03 eV at an energy of 1.5 keV, 1.58±0.07 eV at 5.9 keV and 1.96±0.08 eV at 8 keV. The linearity in the measured gain scale is understood in the context of the longitudinal proximity effect from the electrical bias leads resulting in transition characteristics that are strongly dependent upon TES size.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at Goddard Space Flight Center (Bailey), administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through a contract with NASA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CRESST and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD, 21250, USA

    S. J. Smith, J. S. Adams & M. E. Eckart

  2. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA

    S. J. Smith, J. S. Adams, C. N. Bailey, S. R. Bandler, J. A. Chervenak, M. E. Eckart, F. M. Finkbeiner, R. L. Kelley, C. A. Kilbourne, F. S. Porter & J. E. Sadleir

  3. NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA

    C. N. Bailey

  4. CRESST and University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    S. R. Bandler

  5. Wyle Information Systems, McLean, VA, 22102, USA

    F. M. Finkbeiner

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  1. S. J. Smith
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  2. J. S. Adams
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  3. C. N. Bailey
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  4. S. R. Bandler
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  5. J. A. Chervenak
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  6. M. E. Eckart
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  7. F. M. Finkbeiner
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  8. R. L. Kelley
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  9. C. A. Kilbourne
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  10. F. S. Porter
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  11. J. E. Sadleir
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Correspondence to S. J. Smith.

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Smith, S.J., Adams, J.S., Bailey, C.N. et al. Small Pitch Transition-Edge Sensors with Broadband High Spectral Resolution for Solar Physics. J Low Temp Phys 167, 168–175 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-012-0574-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-012-0574-y

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