Use of active-edge silicon detectors as X-ray beam monitors

Silicon detectors have been developed which are active to within several microns of the physical edge of the detector. These active-edge devices can be placed near an intense X-ray beam to accurately measure the X-ray beam properties. In addition, they can be fabricated in a variety of geometries that will be useful for monitoring the intensity, profile, and position of synchrotron X-ray beams. One shape is a detector with a through hole surrounded by four active elements. The hole allows the intense X-ray beam to go through the center while the four elements can detect any change in the position or dispersion of the beam. Another shape is a rectangular 5 mm long×0.5 mm wide device with a set of four elements that are 100 μm wide. These devices could be mounted on the upstream side of the jaws of an x-y collimating slit to measure the intensity profile of the beam that each jaw of the slit is stopping. Small detectors could also be mounted in a cylindrical beam stop to give on-line beam intensity measurements. A variety of different geometries were tested at beamline 10.3.1 of the Advanced Light Source using a 12.5 keV X-ray beam. They have wide dynamic range, excellent position sensitivity and low sensitivity to radiation damage.