Plasma panel based ionizing-particle radiation detector

Abstract

A plasma panel based ionizing-particle radiation detector includes a first substrate and a second substrate coupled to the first substrate by a hermetic seal. The second substrate is an ultra-thin substrate. The detector further includes a discharge gas between the first and second substrate and at least one second electrode electrically coupled to a first electrode and defining at least one pixel with the first electrode. The second electrode is coupled to the first substrate and a first impedance is coupled to the first electrode. The detector further includes a power supply coupled to at least the first or second electrode and a first discharge event detector circuitry is coupled to at least one of the first or second electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode. The detector further includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel capable of outputting a gas discharge pulse upon interaction with ionizing-radiation. Each gas discharge pulse is counted by the detector as having approximately an equal value and circuitry detects if a gas discharge pulse is output from the pixels, and counts each gas discharge pulse as an individual event.

1 . A plasma panel based ionizing-particle radiation detector comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate coupled to the first substrate by a first hermetic seal, wherein the second substrate comprises an ultra-thin substrate;   a discharge gas between the first and second substrate;   at least one second electrode electrically coupled to a first electrode and defining at least one pixel with the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is coupled to the first substrate;   a first impedance coupled to the first electrode;   a power supply coupled to at least the first or second electrode;   a first discharge event detector circuitry coupled to at least one of the first or second electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode;   a plurality of pixels, each pixel capable of outputting a gas discharge pulse upon interaction with ionizing-radiation, wherein each gas discharge pulse is counted as having approximately an equal value; and   circuitry for detecting if a gas discharge pulse is output from the pixels, and for counting each gas discharge pulse as an individual event.   
     
     
         2 . The detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a third electrode coupled to the first substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra-thin substrate comprises a metal foil. 
     
     
         4 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra-thin substrate comprises at least one of ceramic, glass or a semiconductor. 
     
     
         5 . The detector of  claim 3 , wherein the metal foil comprises at least one of the metals or metal alloys of aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, stainless steel, nickel, iron, copper, cobalt, beryllium, magnesium, Arnavar™ .or Inconel. 
     
     
         6 . The detector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third substrate coupled to the second substrate by a second hermetic seal.   
     
     
         7 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the first substrate and second substrate define a gas gap region that contains the discharge gas, and wherein the first electrode extends vertically into the gas gap region and the second electrode is substantially flat on the first substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the first impedance is a quenching resistor. 
     
     
         9 . The detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a bus-bar coupled to the first electrode. 
     
     
         10 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is an X-electrode and the second electrode is a Y-electrode. 
     
     
         11 . The detector of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one first driver coupled to the first electrode. 
     
     
         12 . The detector of  claim 7 , wherein the first electrode comprises a stack of electrodes alternatively separated by a stack of insulators. 
     
     
         13 . The detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a photo-cathode layer coupled to the second substrate.