Use of active-edge silicon detectors as X-ray beam monitors

Silicon detectors have been developed which are active to within several microns of the physical edge of the detector. These active-edge devices can be placed near an intense X-ray beam to accurately measure the X-ray beam properties. In addition, they can be fabricated in a variety of geometries that will be useful for monitoring the intensity, profile, and position of synchrotron X-ray beams. One shape is a detector with a through hole surrounded by four active elements. The hole allows the intense X-ray beam to go through the center while the four elements can detect any change in the position or dispersion of the beam. Another shape is a rectangular 5 mm long×0.5 mm wide device with a set of four elements that are 100 μm wide. These devices could be mounted on the upstream side of the jaws of an x–y collimating slit to measure the intensity profile of the beam that each jaw of the slit is stopping. Small detectors could also be mounted in a cylindrical beam stop to give on-line beam intensity measurements. A variety of different geometries were tested at beamline 10.3.1 of the Advanced Light Source using a 12.5 keV X-ray beam. They have wide dynamic range, excellent position sensitivity and low sensitivity to radiation damage.