Vacuum-ultraviolet quantum efficiency of a thinned, backside-illuminated charge-coupled device.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Semiconductor Devices
• Astronomy Instrumentation

Background:

• Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are crucial for scientific imaging.
• Understanding UV quantum efficiency is vital for specific applications.
• Thinned, backside-illuminated CCDs offer enhanced performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the UV quantum efficiency of a specific SITe CCD.
• To assess the performance of a 1024x1024 pixel thinned, backside-illuminated CCD.
• To determine the operational characteristics in the UV to visible spectrum.

Main Methods:

• Measured quantum efficiency across a wavelength band from 1164 to 5200 Å.
• Utilized a 1024x1024 pixel Scientific Imaging Technologies (SITe) CCD.
• Characterized the device without an antireflective coating.

Main Results:

• Achieved an average quantum efficiency exceeding 40% from 1164 to 4000 Å.
• The device has 24-µm pixels.
• Reported a read noise of 15 electrons/pixel.

Conclusions:

• The SITe CCD exhibits significant UV quantum efficiency.
• The device is suitable for applications requiring UV sensitivity.
• Performance metrics indicate its utility in scientific imaging.