SYNCHROTRON RADIATION APPLICATIONS OF CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE DETECTORS

Scientific charge coupled devices (CCDs) offer many opportunities for high brightness synchrotron radiation applications where good spatial resolution and fast data acquisition are important. We describe the use of virtual-phase CCD pixel arrays as two-dimensional area detectors illustrating the techniques with results from recent x-ray scattering, imaging, and absorption spectroscopy studies at NSLS, CHESS, SRC, and LURE DCI. The virtual phase architecture allows direct frontside illumination of the CCD detector chips giving advantages in the speed and sensitivity of the detector. Combining developments in x-ray optics (dispersive geometry), position sensitive area detectors (CCDs), and fast data acquisition, we have been able to perform time-resolved measurements at the microsecond level. Current developments include faster data transfer rates so that the single bunch timing structure of third generation synchrotron sources can be exploited.