OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ELECTRON-BOMBARDED SILICON-DIODE PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE

An electron-bombarded silicon-diode photomultiplier tube (EDPMT) has been constructed and the first experimental data on operational characteristics are presented. The signal multiplication of this tube is, in contrast to the traditional PMT, not accomplished by multiplying the number of photo-generated electrons, but by increasing each electron's energy 3-4 orders of magnitude. The relative simplicity of design properties make this type of tube an attractive alternative for many applications. This tube has small size, low mass, it is robust and it incorporates a low cost electron multiplier. Also, it only requires a single negative high voltage connection, without a voltage-divider, and a low voltage diode reverse-bias connection, which greatly reduces the power supply requirements for large scale operations such as those at CERN, Fermilab, and the Superconducting Supercollider.