Metal and hybrid TimePix detectors imaging beams of particles

Timepix chips were evaluated for imaging low energy ion beams and as candidates for building an `electronic focal plane' of a laser mass-spectrometer. The uniformity of response of the pixel matrix with respect to ion mass, energy and detection position has been studied. Two samples each of hybrid silicon pixel detectors and metal micro-pixel detectors (using bare readout chip input electrodes) were used. The results obtained illustrate that both detector types can be used as an `electronic focal plane' of a mass-spectrometer. Two-dimensional imaging of the charge/mass distribution of ion beams accordingly to their charge/mass distribution can improve the mass-spectrometer resolution. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.