Characterization and Calibration of PILATUS Detectors

Pilatus is a silicon hybrid pixel detector system for detecting X-rays in single photon counting mode. The PILATUS II chip, fabricated in a radiation tolerant design with a standard 0.25 mum CMOS process, was used to construct multichip modules with a size of 84 times 34 mm² comprising 94´965 pixels. All calibrations and characterizations were carried out with monochromatic X-rays from a synchrotron source. In order to set any required threshold above the noise level between 2.14 keV and 22 keV the detector was calibrated with X-rays. An algorithm to adjust thresholds pixel-by-pixel and create trim files based on X-ray flat-field images was developed. The threshold dispersion was reduced from 343 eV to 36 eV by the means of trim files. An electronic noise of 447 eV has been measured. The PILATUS modules are suitable for various X-ray applications such as diffraction and imaging techniques.