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High Broadband Spectral Resolving Transition-Edge Sensors for High Count-Rate Astrophysical ApplicationsWe are developing arrays of transition-edge sensor (TES) X-ray detectors optimized for high count-rate solar astronomy applications where characterizing the high velocity motions of X-ray jets in solar flares is of particular interest. These devices are fabricated on thick Si substrates and consist of 35x35micron^2 TESs with 4.5micron thick, 60micron pitch, electroplated absorbers. We have tested devices fabricated with different geometric stem contact areas with the TES and surrounding substrate area, which allows us to investigate the loss of athermal phonons to the substrate. Results show a correlation between the stem contact area and a non-Gaussian broadening in the spectral line shape consistent with athermal phonon loss. When the contact area is minimized we have obtained remarkable board-band spectral resolving capabilities of 1.3 plus or minus 0.leV at an energy of 1.5 keV, 1.6 plus or minus 0.1 eV at 5.9 keV and 2.0 plus or minus 0.1 eV at 8 keV. This, coupled with a capability of accommodating 100's of counts per second per pixel makes these devices an exciting prospect of future x-ray astronomy applications.
Document ID
20110013300
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Smith, Stephen (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2011
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.ABS.4487.2011
Meeting Information
Meeting: 14th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors (LTD-14)
Location: Heidelberg
Country: Germany
Start Date: August 1, 2011
End Date: August 5, 2011
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06EO90A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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