Using direct illumination CCDs as high-resolution area detectors for X-ray scattering

The use of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) under direct illumination of X-rays for two-dimensional position-sensitive detectors in high-resolution diffraction experiments is discussed. Two detectors are compared: a standard CCD and a "deep depletion" CCD. These give position resolution close to the pixel size ( similar to 22 mu m), and energy resolution close to the theoretical resolution of a Si detector. These detectors can be used for photon-counting and an algorithm for electronic noise suppression is presented. This algorithm is useful for experiments with frequent readouts and low intensity. Examples demonstrating the advantages of this algorithm for diffraction experiments are given. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.