PILATUS (detector)

The PILATUS detectors are based on hybrid photon counting (HPC) technology, by which X-rays are converted to electrical signals by the photoelectric effect in a semiconductor sensor layer—either silicon or cadmium telluride—which is subject to a substantial bias voltage.

The electric signals are counted directly by a series of cells in an ASIC bonded to the sensor.

The direct detection of single photons and the accurate determination of scattering and diffraction intensities over a wide dynamic range have resulted in PILATUS detectors becoming a standard at most synchrotron beamlines and being used for a large variety of X-ray applications, including: small-angle scattering, coherent scattering, X-ray powder diffraction and spectroscopy.

[2] The second generation PILATUS2 systems represented a major technological improvement, featuring a pixel size of 172×172μm, a counter depth of 20 bits and a radiation-tolerant design, necessary for operation with the intense X-ray beams at synchrotrons.

[citation needed] The third generation PILATUS3, introduced in 2012, features instant-retrigger technology,[4] which allows for even higher photon counting rates than its predecessors.