Vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and test of detector and test method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of detector vacuum low-temperature packaging and detector irradiation performance degradation characterization, and discloses a vacuum packaging device for detector low-temperature irradiation and test and a test method. The vacuum dewar is arranged in the shielding shell; the detector assembly is mounted in the vacuum Dewar and comprises a detector body and a refrigerator cold head; the refrigerating machine cold head is in heat transfer connection with the detector assembly; the detector driving readout electronics assembly is fixedly mounted at the rear end in the shielding shell and is in signal connection with the detector assembly; the temperature control electronics assembly is in signal connection with the refrigerating machine cold head; a vacuum valve; the shielding shell at least cannot block the detection visual field of the detector body, and gaps are reserved for a pipeline of a refrigerating machine cold head, a pipeline of a vacuum valve, a power supply control line of a detector driving read-out electronic assembly and a power supply control line of a temperature control electronic assembly to pass through. The device and the method are suitable for scenes of irradiation test and subsequent performance test of the detector under vacuum and low temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vacuum low-temperature packaging of detectors, and in particular to a vacuum packaging device and a test method for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors. Background Art

[0002] To achieve optimal performance in scientific-grade semiconductor detectors, such as scientific-grade CCD and CMOS visible light detectors, the detectors must be cooled to very low temperatures to suppress dark currents. Therefore, the detectors must be packaged and cooled in a vacuum environment. In various space applications, detectors are also exposed to radiation from various high-energy particles in space, which can affect their performance.

[0003] Space is filled with a large number of cosmic rays. These high-energy particles have a variety of impacts on scientific-grade detectors, including ionization effects and displacement damage. To suppress the detector's dark current, the detector needs to be cooled to a very low operating temperature. In order to evaluate whether the detector meets scientific requirements and how its performance will be affected by space radiation particles after it is launched into space, it is necessary to conduct irradiation test experiments on various detectors on the ground. However, during the development phase of aerospace projects and applications, existing particle irradiation tests are mostly conducted at room temperature and with the detector unpowered (non-operating). This is significantly different from the actual working conditions in space, resulting in large errors in the evaluation of the detector. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a vacuum packaging device and test method for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors, which is suitable for scenarios of irradiation testing and subsequent performance testing of detectors at vacuum and low temperatures, and is especially suitable for detectors with relatively large single target surfaces. The relevant Dewar structure design and built-in light source design scheme are provided, filling the gap in this field for irradiation test devices for large-target detectors under low-temperature conditions.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of a detector, comprising:

[0007] Shielded housing;

[0008] And disposed within the shielding enclosure:

[0009] The vacuum dewar is fixedly installed at the front end of the shielding shell, and a titanium film is provided at the front end of the vacuum dewar;

[0010] A detector assembly is installed in the vacuum dewar, comprising a detector body and a refrigerator cold head; the detector body in the detector assembly is arranged toward the titanium film; the refrigerator cold head is connected to the detector assembly through heat transfer;

[0011] The detector drive readout electronic assembly is fixedly mounted on the rear end of the shielding housing and is electrically connected to the detector assembly;

[0012] a temperature control electronic component electrically connected to the refrigerator cold head; and

[0013] a vacuum valve, communicating with the interior of the vacuum dewar;

[0014] The shielding shell at least does not block the detection field of view of the detector body, and leaves gaps for the pipelines of the refrigerator cold head, the pipelines of the vacuum valve, the power supply control lines of the detector drive readout electronic components and the power supply control lines of the temperature control electronic components to pass through.

[0015] In one embodiment, the vacuum dewar further includes a titanium film sealing window, a dewar side wall and a bottom flange; the titanium film sealing window and the dewar side wall are sealed with a rubber ring, and the dewar side wall and the bottom flange are sealed with a knife edge; an exhaust port is provided on the bottom flange, and the exhaust port is connected to the vacuum valve.

[0016] In one embodiment, the detector assembly further includes a detector substrate, the detector body is mounted on the detector substrate, and the refrigerator cold head is connected to the detector substrate via a cold chain.

[0017] In one embodiment, the detector assembly further includes a heating plate; the heating plate is signal-connected to the temperature control electronics assembly.

[0018] In one embodiment, the detector assembly also includes a built-in flat field system; the built-in flat field system includes multiple LED light sources arranged inside the vacuum dewar, and a homogenizing glass is arranged in front of the detector body; the multiple LED light sources are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner and all face the plane where the homogenizing glass is located.

[0019] In one embodiment, it also includes an electronics feedthrough board; the electronics feedthrough board passes through the vacuum dewar and is sealed with vacuum glue; the detector assembly is connected to the detector drive readout electronics assembly for signal connection through the electronics feedthrough board; the refrigerator cold head is connected to the temperature control electronics assembly for signal connection through the electronics feedthrough board.

[0020] A test method for a vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of a detector comprises the following steps:

[0021] S1, assemble the low-temperature irradiation device;

[0022] S2, connect the device to the vacuum pump, open the vacuum valve, and evacuate the vacuum dewar to make the inside of the vacuum dewar reach a high vacuum state;

[0023] S3, connect the device to the vacuum pump through a long refrigeration pipeline to cool the detector, turn on the detector temperature control, and make the detector reach the target temperature;

[0024] S4, power the detector to put it into working state;

[0025] S5, close the vacuum valve, move the refrigerator and vacuum pump away from the irradiation area, maintain refrigeration through the long refrigeration pipeline, and start the irradiation test;

[0026] S6, after the irradiation test, move the vacuum packaging device to the test area;

[0027] S7, after the device is transported to the test area, the refrigerator and temperature control electronics system are turned on;

[0028] S8, repeat steps S2 and S3;

[0029] S9, turn on the LED light source to perform a flat field test; turn off the LED light source to perform a dark field test.

[0030] In one embodiment, before the vacuum packaging device is moved to the test area, the interior of the vacuum dewar is restored from a low vacuum state to a high vacuum state in step S2.

[0031] In one embodiment, the temperature of the detector is lowered before the vacuum packaging device is moved to the testing area to offset the temperature increase during transportation.

[0032] To more accurately characterize the radiation degradation performance of detectors under actual space operating conditions, the technical problem to be solved by this invention is to vacuum encapsulate and low-temperature thermally control the detector, complete the design of the vacuum dewar package for the requirements of high-energy radiation irradiation, design the flat-field system required for radiation testing under the working conditions within the dewar, and shield the back-end electronics from radiation. Ultimately, a vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of the detector and a detector testing method under corresponding low-temperature irradiation conditions are completed. This device and method have the following advantages:

[0033] (1) Irradiation test can be carried out under the condition of low temperature and power on of the detector;

[0034] (2) Long-term, multi-area irradiation testing can be carried out;

[0035] (3) It can carry out irradiation test of large target area detector;

[0036] (4) It is an integrated device that can conduct irradiation tests and subsequent performance tests;

[0037] (5) By removing the visible light to which the detector is sensitive, transient photographs of the irradiation can be obtained;

[0038] (6) Ensure vacuum leakage rate and vacuum degree during irradiation;

[0039] (7) Ensure that the loss of irradiated particles is reduced during irradiation experiments;

[0040] (8) The camera electronics are affected as little as possible by the irradiated particles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the vacuum packaging device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum dewar in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the detector assembly in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] in:

[0045] 1. Vacuum dewar; 2. Detector assembly; 3. Temperature control electronics assembly; 4. Detector drive readout electronics assembly; 5. Camera support plate; 6. Support profile; 7. Shielding shell; 8. Square handle;

[0046] 101. Titanium film sealing window; 102. Titanium film; 103. Dewar sealing window flange interface; 104. Dewar side wall; 105. Bottom flange; 106. Vacuum valve; 107. Refrigerator cold head; 108. Cold head cavity wall; 109. LED light; 110. Electronics feedthrough board; 111. Refrigerator cold head cold block;

[0047] 201. Homogenizing glass; 202. Detector external structure; 203. Detector body; 204. Detector substrate; 205. Detector flexible circuit board; 206. Thermal insulation bracket; 207. Cold chain. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] To meet the requirements for low-temperature detector cooling, the present invention designs a vacuum dewar 1 to reduce thermal convection effects, insulate, and cool the detector. The sealing structure of the vacuum dewar 1 not only affects the energy of the particles but may also generate secondary particles. Therefore, the sealing scheme and material selection require careful consideration and simulation analysis. After the irradiation test, the detector performance must be immediately characterized at low temperatures, which requires a dark field environment and a flat-field light source. Since the cavity cannot be disassembled during the irradiation test and subsequent testing, an intracavity flat-field system is required to ensure the uniformity of the light source. Furthermore, radiation protection of electronic equipment must be considered during the irradiation process. To address the above technical issues, the present invention proposes a device and method that uses a titanium film 102 as a vacuum seal for particle irradiation to minimize the impact of irradiated particles. The built-in flat-field system in the vacuum dewar 1 provides a relatively uniform flat-field light source on the detector imaging surface. The vacuum dewar 1 and the refrigeration system provide thermal insulation and temperature control for the detector. At the rear end of the vacuum dewar 1 is the control board for the detector drive and readout electronics 4 and the temperature control electronics 3. The outside of the entire vacuum packaging device is protected from radiation by lead plates.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum packaging device of the present invention includes a vacuum dewar 1, a detector assembly 2, a temperature control electronics assembly 3, a detector drive readout electronics assembly 4, a camera support plate 5, a support profile 6, a shielding shell 7 and a square handle 8. Among them, the detector assembly 2 is installed inside the vacuum dewar 1. The vacuum dewar 1, the temperature control electronics assembly 3 and the detector drive readout electronics assembly 4 are fixed on the camera support plate 5. The support profile 6 is installed on the camera support plate 5 for supporting and fixing the entire camera. The shielding shell 7 is installed outside the support profile 6 for shielding rays. A mounting hole is reserved on the shielding shell 7, and the square handle 8 is installed on the support profile 6 to facilitate the transportation of the camera. The present invention can efficiently complete the irradiation test of the detector under vacuum and low-temperature power-on conditions, and immediately carry out the detector performance characterization test and annealing test under low-temperature refrigeration conditions after the irradiation test.

[0051] Figure 2The following structures appear: titanium membrane sealing window 101, titanium membrane 102, Dewar sealing window flange interface 103, Dewar sidewall 104, bottom flange 105, vacuum valve 106, refrigerator cold head 107, cold head cavity wall 108, LED lamp 109, electronics feedthrough plate 110, and refrigerator cold head cold block 111. The titanium membrane sealing window 101, titanium membrane 102, and Dewar sealing window flange interface 103 are sealed with rubber rings, while the Dewar sealing window flange interface 103 and Dewar sidewall 104 are welded. This design not only ensures good sealing but also provides compatibility, adapting to titanium membrane sealing window 101 and other types of sealing windows. The Dewar sidewall 104 and bottom flange 105, as well as the cold head cavity wall 108 and bottom flange 105, are all knife-edge sealed, effectively reducing vacuum leak rate and significantly improving the system's vacuum maintenance capability. On the inner side of the Dewar sealing window flange interface 103, eight LED lamps 109 are rotationally symmetrically installed. These LED lamps 109 can achieve flexible brightness adjustment by controlling the voltage, providing a relatively uniform flat-field light source. The refrigerator cold head 107 can provide a cold source. The refrigerator cold head 107 is connected to the refrigerator cold head cold block 111 and can be used to fix various cold chains 207. The vacuum feedthrough of electronic signals is carried out through the electronics feedthrough board 110, including the vacuum internal and external feedthrough of the detector drive readout signal and the temperature control signal. The vacuum Dewar 1 is the core component of the vacuum packaging device. During the irradiation test, due to the influence of the radiation, it is impossible to use a vacuum pump for vacuum operation. To solve this problem, a vacuum valve 106 is installed at the exhaust port of the bottom flange 105. After closing the valve, the vacuum state inside the vacuum Dewar 1 can be maintained for several hours, meeting the requirements of refrigeration maintenance.

[0052] The electronics feedthrough board 110 penetrates the interior and exterior of the vacuum chamber 1 using feedthrough technology and is sealed with vacuum adhesive to ensure stable and reliable signal connections. Signal lines and power supplies required for the detector and temperature control are directly connected to the electronics feedthrough board 110 inside the chamber. The electronics feedthrough board 110's primary function is to provide power and drive signals to the detector body 203 and to read the signals output by the detector body 203.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the detector assembly 2 includes a homogenizing glass 201, a detector outer structure 202, a detector body 203, a detector substrate 204, a detector flexible circuit board 205, a thermal insulation bracket 206, and a cold chain 207. The detector body 203 is fixed to the detector outer structure 202, facilitating handheld operation and securing the homogenizing glass 201. The homogenizing glass 201 is a 2mm thick, frosted, transparent acrylic glass that evenly scatters light. This uniform LED arrangement and the homogenizing glass 201 achieve a high-quality flat field effect in a localized area, meeting the required irradiation calculation area size.

[0054] The detector body 203 is mounted on a detector substrate 204, through which cooling is provided. The refrigeration heat exchange cold head can provide a low-temperature cold source of approximately -150°C. The detector substrate 204 is connected to the refrigerator cold head cold block 111 via a cold chain 207 to obtain cooling capacity. The refrigeration heat exchange cold head can provide a low-temperature cold source of approximately -150°C. A temperature sensor and a heater are mounted on the detector substrate 204, which uses a PID control algorithm for precise temperature control, with a temperature control range of -150°C to 50°C. The detector substrate 204 is fixed to the bottom flange 105 via two thermal insulation brackets 206. The detector drive readout signal is connected to the detector readout electronics module via the detector flexible circuit board 205. The sensor and heater signals used for temperature control are also fed through the detector readout electronics module.

[0055] To ensure detector operational stability during irradiation, protect the camera electronics from radiation damage, and effectively shield against stray radiation interference, the camera's exterior is reinforced and supported with aluminum alloy profiles. 5mm-thick lead plates are installed around the exterior and rear of the profiles, forming a reliable shielding layer. Notches are reserved in the rear lead plates for routing chiller and exhaust lines, as well as power and signal cables for the electronics board, ensuring overall connectivity and functionality.

[0056] Through scientific and reasonable structural design and advanced technology application, the device achieves efficient and stable operation of the detector during irradiation and testing under low-temperature conditions, providing strong technical support for the performance evaluation and optimization of the detector under low-temperature power-on conditions.

[0057] The specific steps for conducting radiation test of detector using this vacuum packaging device are as follows:

[0058] Step 1: Press Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vacuum packaging device is installed as shown.

[0059] Step 2: Select refrigerator pipelines, power cables and communication cables, and place the refrigerator, power supply and host computer outside the radiation room or in a low radiation dose area.

[0060] Step 3: Use a vacuum pump to evacuate the vacuum dewar to achieve a vacuum state inside the vacuum dewar.

[0061] Step 4: Turn on the refrigerator to cool the detector to the target temperature. Turn on the power supply of the electronic components and the detector, and use the host computer to control the detector to enter the working state.

[0062] Step 5: Close the vacuum valve and remove the vacuum pump. At this time, the vacuum state inside the vacuum dewar can be maintained for a certain period of time through low-temperature adsorption.

[0063] Step 6: Raise the source and start the irradiation test.

[0064] The specific steps to start testing using this device after the irradiation test are as follows:

[0065] Step 7: After the irradiation test, move the vacuum package to the test area for testing. Keep the vacuum valve closed during transfer. If the irradiation test takes a long time, re-evacuate the vacuum dewar according to Step 3 to restore the vacuum state. Before transfer, the detector temperature can be appropriately lowered to offset the temperature rise during transportation.

[0066] Step 8: After the vacuum packaging device is transported to the testing area, turn on the refrigerator and temperature control electronic components.

[0067] Step 9: Open the vacuum valve and re-evacuate the vacuum dewar according to step 3 to restore the vacuum state.

[0068] Step 10: Turn on the LED light to perform a flat field test, and turn off the LED light to perform a dark field test.

[0069] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0070] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. It is intended that all variations within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims be embraced herein, and any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims to which they relate.

[0071] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of implementation methods, not every implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors, characterized in that: include: Shielded housing; And disposed within the shielding enclosure: The vacuum dewar is fixedly installed at the front end of the shielding shell, and a titanium film is provided at the front end of the vacuum dewar; A detector assembly is installed in the vacuum dewar, comprising a detector body and a refrigerator cold head; the detector body in the detector assembly is arranged toward the titanium film; the refrigerator cold head is connected to the detector assembly through heat transfer; The detector drive readout electronic assembly is fixedly mounted on the rear end of the shielding housing and is electrically connected to the detector assembly; a temperature control electronic component electrically connected to the refrigerator cold head; and a vacuum valve, communicating with the interior of the vacuum dewar; The shielding shell at least does not block the detection field of view of the detector body, and leaves gaps for the pipelines of the refrigerator cold head, the pipelines of the vacuum valve, the power supply control lines of the detector drive readout electronic components and the power supply control lines of the temperature control electronic components to pass through.

2. The vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum dewar also includes a titanium film sealing window, a dewar side wall and a bottom flange; the titanium film sealing window and the dewar side wall are sealed with a rubber ring, and the dewar side wall and the bottom flange are sealed with a knife edge; an exhaust port is provided on the bottom flange, and the exhaust port is connected to the vacuum valve.

3. The vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detector assembly further comprises a detector substrate, the detector body is mounted on the detector substrate, and the refrigerator cold head is connected to the detector substrate via a cold chain.

4. The vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors according to claim 3, characterized in that: The detector assembly further comprises a heating plate; the heating plate is signal-connected to the temperature control electronic assembly.

5. The vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detector assembly also includes a built-in flat field system; the built-in flat field system includes multiple LED light sources arranged inside the vacuum dewar, and a homogenizing glass is arranged in front of the detector body; the multiple LED light sources are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner and all face the plane where the homogenizing glass is located.

6. The vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of detectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an electronics feedthrough board; the electronics feedthrough board passes through the vacuum dewar and is sealed with vacuum glue; the detector assembly is connected to the detector drive readout electronics assembly through the electronics feedthrough board for signal connection; the refrigerator cold head is connected to the temperature control electronics assembly through the electronics feedthrough board for signal connection.

7. A test method for a vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of a detector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, open the vacuum valve and evacuate the vacuum dewar to make the inside of the vacuum dewar reach a vacuum state; S2, cooling the detector to make it reach the target temperature; S3, power the detector to put it into working state; S4, close the vacuum valve and start the irradiation test; S5, after the irradiation test, the vacuum packaging device is moved to the test area; S6, after the device is transported to the test area, the refrigerator and temperature control electronics system are turned on; S7, repeat steps S1 and S2; S8, turn on the LED light source to perform a flat field test; turn off the LED light source to perform a dark field test.

8. The test method of a vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of a detector according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before the vacuum packaging device is moved to the test area, the interior of the vacuum dewar is again brought into a vacuum state through step S1.

9. The test method of a vacuum packaging device for low-temperature irradiation and testing of a detector according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before moving the vacuum-sealed unit to the test area, cool the detector to offset the temperature increase during transportation.

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