X-ray detector calibration at CEA/Bruyeres-le-Chatel

At CEA/Bruyeres-le-Chatel (Service GEM), then are facilities to calibrate X-ray detectors from 200 eV to 100 keV, with an accuracy of 4% at high energies (E > 3 keV). The source is the direct radiation from the X-ray tubes [C-K alpha (277 eV) to Ti-K alpha K beta (4.51/4.93 keV)] or fluorescence emission from secondary targets [ME(K alpha) (1.25 keV) to U-K alpha (98 keV)]. In addition, calibrations are carried out with the synchrotron radiation of the Super-AGO storage ring (LURE-Orsay), by selecting the monoenergetic beams with a double crystal monochromator which is tunable between 0.8 and 8 keV. The resolution is better than 1 eV. This last tool is very useful in the study of the absorption edges of the detector compounds (for example, Si K-edge and Ar K-edge). Some examples are presented of results obtained between 1 and 50 keV, with special reference to high flux detectors such as gold photocathodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes. Thick silicon photodiodes (for the high energy range) were also calibrated.