Device and method for testing stress deformation of microchannel plate

Abstract

The present invention provides a device and method for testing the deformation of a microchannel plate under stress, comprising a test base, a controllable force applying device, a clamping mechanism, and an optical detection module, wherein the output end of the optical detection module is connected to a computer system. The controllable force applying device applies pressure in a controllable manner from the bottom center area of the microchannel plate, and the optical detection module located directly above the microchannel plate detects the deformation state of the microchannel plate after being subjected to stress from the top of the microchannel plate. The method and device for testing the deformation of a microchannel plate under stress proposed by the present invention apply a controllable force to the bottom center area of the MCP through an inverted balance structure, and use a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer from above to test the deformation of the center of the MCP compared to the edge. The structural strength of the MCP can be conveniently and quickly quantified using a deformation coefficient, thereby realizing a simulation test of the impact resistance of the microchannel plate used in devices such as image intensifiers and microchannel plate assemblies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vacuum photoelectric detection and particle detection technology, and more specifically to a method and device for testing the stress deformation of a microchannel plate (MCP). The method and device can conveniently and quickly quantify the structural strength of the MCP using a deformation coefficient, thereby enabling simulation testing of the impact resistance of microchannel plates used in devices such as image intensifiers and microchannel plate assemblies. Background Art

[0002] A microchannel plate (MCP) is a compact electron multiplying device with an array of micropores that can be used to detect charged particles, electrons, X-rays, and UV photons. It has the advantages of low power consumption, self-saturation, high-speed detection, and low noise. It is used in various forms in low-light-level image intensifiers, time-of-flight mass spectrometers, and various detectors to achieve high temporal resolution and high position resolution signal detection.

[0003] With the demand for improved performance of devices such as low-light-level image intensifiers, the requirements for microchannel plates are becoming increasingly higher. One important development trend is to gradually reduce the aperture of the microchannel plate to improve the position resolution capability. The subsequent trend is to thin the entire plate thickness of the microchannel plate. Therefore, a new problem is introduced: whether the thinned microchannel plate has sufficient structural strength to meet the requirements of devices such as image intensifiers in impact and vibration application scenarios.

[0004] Traditionally, image intensifiers are used to test the adaptability of microchannel plates under shock and vibration conditions, but this takes a long time and is not conducive to rapid iterative improvements to the structural strength of the microchannel plates. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device and method for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate, aiming to directly test the structural strength performance of the microchannel plate, especially for testing microchannel plates with reduced thickness, characterizing their deformation under different external applied forces, and providing direct and scientific structural mechanics test data support for the structural design of the microchannel plate.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate is provided, comprising:

[0007] Test base;

[0008] A controllable force applying device is located on the upper surface of the test base;

[0009] a clamping mechanism, disposed on the controllable force applying device and used to clamp the microchannel plate to be tested; the incident end face and the exit end face of the microchannel plate are kept parallel to the upper surface of the test base; and

[0010] An optical detection module located directly above the microchannel plate is used to detect and output the deformation state of the microchannel plate after being subjected to force;

[0011] The controllable force applying device is configured to controllably apply pressure to the clamped microchannel plate from the bottom of the microchannel plate, and the optical detection module detects the deformation state of the microchannel plate after the force is applied from the top of the clamped microchannel plate.

[0012] As an optional example, the optical detection module is a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer with a detection accuracy of 1 μm or better.

[0013] As an optional example, the controllable force applying device is configured to apply force to the microchannel plate with an accuracy of 10 Nm.

[0014] As an optional example, the controllable force applying device is configured to apply force toward the bottom center area of the microchannel plate.

[0015] As an optional example, the controllable force applying device includes:

[0016] A balance frame is provided on the upper surface of the test base, and the clamping mechanism is installed on the balance frame;

[0017] A balance beam supported by a fulcrum, the fulcrum supporting the balance beam forming a balance structure, the balance beam being divided by the fulcrum into a first beam located on the same side of the clamping mechanism and a second beam located on the other side;

[0018] wherein the end of the first beam forms a spherical indenter that contacts the bottom center area of the microchannel plate;

[0019] The end of the second beam is configured to apply controllable pressure from the outside, so that the applied force is transmitted to the spherical pressure head and applies pressure to the bottom center area of the microchannel plate to cause deformation.

[0020] As an optional example, the end of the second beam is configured to be used for stacking weight blocks of different numbers and / or masses.

[0021] As an optional example, the minimum mass of the weight block is 1 g.

[0022] As an optional example, the diameter of the spherical indenter is in the range of 1-5 mm.

[0023] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for testing the stress deformation of a microchannel plate is also provided, the testing method comprising:

[0024] Clamping the microchannel plate to be tested to the clamping mechanism;

[0025] Applying pressure to the bottom center area of the clamped microchannel plate by a controllable force applying device, wherein each application of pressure is set to change the pressure applied to the microchannel plate with a pressure accuracy of 10 Nm;

[0026] The deformation of the center of the microchannel plate compared to the edge caused by each pressure application is detected by a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer located above the microchannel plate, and the longitudinal deformation of the central area of the microchannel plate is recorded as L i , i=1,2,3,…, represents the detection sequence number;

[0027] Based on the longitudinal deformation L of the central area generated during each detection i and the force F applied to the central region i ,The deformation coefficient is calculated and the structural strength of the microchannel plate is quantitatively characterized.

[0028] As an optional example, each application of pressure is configured to be achieved by stacking weight blocks of different numbers and / or masses, and the masses of the weight blocks are 10 g, 5 g, and 1 g respectively.

[0029] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the method and device for testing the force deformation of the microchannel plate proposed in the present invention can use the image intensifier tube shell or MCP component parts to clamp the MCP, apply a controllable force to the central area of the bottom of the MCP through an inverted balance structure, and use a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer from above to test the deformation of the MCP center compared to the edge. The structural strength of the MCP can be conveniently and quickly quantified by the deformation coefficient, which is the longitudinal deformation of the MCP center area / the force applied by the MCP center, with the unit of μm / N. This realizes the simulation test of the impact resistance of the microchannel plate used in devices such as image intensifiers and microchannel plate assemblies, and the impact acceleration range can reach 50G-2000G.

[0030] It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and the additional concepts described in more detail below, as long as such concepts are not mutually inconsistent, can be considered part of the inventive subject matter of this disclosure. In addition, all combinations of the claimed subject matter are considered part of the inventive subject matter of this disclosure.

[0031] The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and features of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Other additional aspects of the present invention, such as features and / or beneficial effects of the exemplary embodiments, will become apparent from the following description or through practice of specific embodiments according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. Embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of sample test results of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to better understand the technical content of the present invention, specific embodiments are given and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Various aspects of the present invention are described in this disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a number of illustrative embodiments are shown. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not necessarily intended to include all aspects of the present invention. It should be understood that the various concepts and embodiments introduced above, as well as those described in more detail below, can be implemented in any of many ways, because the concepts and embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to any embodiment. In addition, some aspects of the present disclosure may be used alone or in any appropriate combination with other aspects disclosed herein.

[0037] Combine Figure 1 The microchannel plate force deformation test device of the example shown includes a test base 10, a controllable force application device 20, a clamping mechanism 30 and an optical detection module 40. The optical detection module 40 can be a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer, and its output end is connected to the computer system 50.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the test base 10 is placed on a horizontal surface, such as the ground or a work surface, and is kept level by adjusting a spirit level or a level gauge.

[0039] The controllable force applying device 20 is installed on the upper surface of the test base 10 .

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, the controllable force applying device 20 is used to controllably apply pressure to the microchannel plate 100 being tested, in particular, to gradually increase or decrease the applied pressure according to a preset level of accuracy. For example, in an example of the present invention, a force is applied to the bottom center area of the microchannel plate 100 with an accuracy of 10 Nm.

[0041] The clamping mechanism 30 is disposed on the controllable force applying device 20 and is used to clamp the microchannel plate 100 to be tested; the incident end face and the exit end face of the microchannel plate 100 are kept parallel to the upper surface of the test base 10 .

[0042] In an optional embodiment, the assembly parts of the image intensifier tube shell or the MCP component can be selected as the clamping mechanism 30 to clamp the microchannel plate 100 to be tested. The force of clamping the MCP can be adjusted by the spring coefficient or the tightening torque of the screw.

[0043] Combine Figure 1 As shown, it should be understood that no matter whether the image intensifier tube housing or the assembly parts of the MCP component are used as the clamping mechanism 30, after the microchannel plate 100 is clamped, based on the assembly of the image intensifier tube housing and the MCP component, the upper and lower end faces (incident end face and exit end face) of the microchannel plate are exposed.

[0044] The optical detection module 40 is located directly above the microchannel plate 100 and is used to detect and output the deformation state of the microchannel plate 100 after being subjected to force.

[0045] Among them, the controllable force applying device 20 applies a controllable force based on the inverse balance structure and principle, and applies pressure to the microchannel plate 100 from the bottom of the clamped microchannel plate 100 in a controllable manner, and the optical detection module 40 detects the deformation state of the microchannel plate 100 after the force is applied from the top of the clamped microchannel plate 100.

[0046] As a preferred embodiment, the optical detection module 40 is a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer with a detection accuracy of 1 μm or better, which can test and output the deformation of the central area of the MCP.

[0047] Combine Figure 1 In the example shown, the controllable force applying device 20 comprises:

[0048] A balance frame 21 is provided on the upper surface of the test base 10 , and a clamping mechanism 30 is installed on the balance frame 21 ;

[0049] A balance beam 23 supported by a support shaft 22, the support shaft 22 supporting the balance beam 23 forming a balance structure, the balance beam 23 being divided by the support shaft 22 into a first beam 23a located on the same side of the clamping mechanism 30 and a second beam 23b located on the other side;

[0050] The end of the first beam 23a forms a spherical indenter 24, which contacts the bottom center area of the microchannel plate 100;

[0051] The end of the second beam 23 b is configured to apply a controllable pressure from the outside, so that the applied force is transmitted to the spherical indenter 24 and pressurizes the bottom center area of the microchannel plate 100 to cause deformation.

[0052] In a particularly preferred example, Figure 1 As shown, the first beam 23a is bent and applies a force toward the bottom center area of the clamped microchannel plate 100. The U-shaped bending of the first beam 23a facilitates bending toward the bottom and extending upward from the bottom, so that the spherical indenter at the end of the first beam 23a applies a force in a direction perpendicular to the bottom center area.

[0053] The end of the second beam 23b is configured to be used for stacking weight blocks of different numbers and / or masses.

[0054] The weight blocks are available in different mass levels of 10g, 5g, and 1g, with the minimum mass being 1g.

[0055] As an optional example, the diameter of the spherical indenter 24 ranges from 1 to 5 mm. In the example of the present invention, a spherical indenter with a diameter of 2 mm is used.

[0056] Combine Figure 1 The example of the microchannel plate force deformation test device shown in FIG. 1 includes the following steps:

[0057] Clamping the microchannel plate 100 to be tested to the clamping mechanism 30;

[0058] Applying pressure to the bottom center area of the clamped microchannel plate 100 by the controllable force applying device 20, wherein each pressure application is set to change the pressure applied to the microchannel plate 100 with a pressure accuracy of 10 Nm;

[0059] The deformation of the center of the microchannel plate 100 compared to the edge caused by each pressure is detected by a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer located above the microchannel plate 100, and the longitudinal deformation of the central area of the microchannel plate 100 is recorded as L i , i=1,2,3,…, represents the detection sequence number;

[0060] Based on the longitudinal deformation L of the central area generated during each detection i and the force F applied to the central region i , the deformation coefficient is calculated and the structural strength of the microchannel plate 100 is quantitatively characterized.

[0061] Deformation coefficient = longitudinal deformation of the MCP center area / force applied by the MCP center, unit is μm / N.

[0062] Each time the pressure is applied, it is configured to be achieved by stacking weight blocks of different numbers and / or masses, and the masses of the weight blocks are 10g, 5g, and 1g respectively.

[0063] Below we use two examples to describe the implementation of the above process in more detail.

[0064] This embodiment takes two types of MCP with thicknesses of 0.25 mm and 0.3 mm as examples, and uses the microchannel plate force and deformation test device of the above embodiment to test the force and deformation. The outer diameter of the MCP is 25 mm.

[0065] The MCP is clamped using the image intensifier housing, and the force for clamping the MCP can be adjusted and applied by a spring.

[0066] A controlled force is applied using an inverted balance structure. This structure contacts one end of the MCP and is spherical, with a diameter of 2 mm. A weight is applied at the other end. Three weights are available: 10g, 5g, and 1g. The force applied to the MCP is accurate to 10mN. The maximum weight applied in this test example is 100g, or 1N.

[0067] A tool microscope with a testing accuracy better than 1 micron is used to measure the deformation of the MCP center compared to the edge above the MCP, such as Figure 2 The figure shows the deformation under different forces.

[0068] According to the different forces applied in different tests, the corresponding deformation variables are output through the tool microscope, and the deformation coefficient is calculated for quantitative characterization. The deformation coefficient = the longitudinal deformation variable of the MCP center area / the force applied by the MCP center, and the unit is μm / N.

[0069] The deformation coefficients of two MCPs with different thicknesses are:

[0070] (1) 0.3mm thick MCP is 72μm / N;

[0071] (2) 0.25mm thick MCP is 163μm / N.

[0072] It can be seen that the deformation coefficient of MCP changes significantly with the thinning of the plate thickness, and does not change linearly with the thinning of the thickness, indicating that the deformation of the MCP with reduced thickness will be greater when subjected to impact force, providing scientific data reference for the subsequent design and testing of thinned MCP to enhance the structural strength.

[0073] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate, characterized in that: include: Test base (10); A controllable force applying device (20) is located on the upper surface of the test base (10); a clamping mechanism (30) disposed on the controllable force applying device (20) and used to clamp the microchannel plate (100) to be tested; the incident end face and the exit end face of the microchannel plate (100) are kept parallel to the upper surface of the test base (10); as well as an optical detection module (40) located directly above the microchannel plate (100) and configured to detect and output a deformation state of the microchannel plate (100) after being subjected to force; The controllable force applying device (20) is configured to controllably apply pressure to the microchannel plate (100) from the bottom of the clamped microchannel plate (100), and the optical detection module (40) detects the deformation state of the microchannel plate (100) after the force is applied from the top of the clamped microchannel plate (100); Wherein, the controllable force applying device (20) comprises: A balance frame (21) is provided on the upper surface of the test base (10), and the clamping mechanism (30) is installed on the balance frame (21); A balance beam (23) supported by a support shaft (22), the support shaft (22) supporting the balance beam (23) to form a balance structure, wherein the balance beam (23) is divided by the support shaft (22) into a first beam (23a) located on the same side as the clamping mechanism (30) and a second beam (23b) located on the other side; wherein the end of the first beam (23a) forms a spherical pressure head (24) that contacts the bottom center area of the microchannel plate (100); The end of the second beam (23b) is configured to apply controllable pressure from the outside, so that the applied force is transmitted to the spherical pressure head (24) and applies pressure to the bottom center area of the microchannel plate (100) to cause deformation.

2. The device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate according to claim 1, wherein: The optical detection module (40) is a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer with a detection accuracy of 1 μm or better.

3. The device for testing the deformation of a microchannel plate under load according to claim 1, wherein: The controllable force applying device (20) is configured to apply force to the microchannel plate (100) with an accuracy of 10 Nm.

4. The device for testing the deformation of a microchannel plate under load according to claim 1, wherein: The controllable force applying device (20) is configured to apply force toward the bottom center area of the microchannel plate (100).

5. The device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate according to claim 4, wherein: The end of the second beam (23b) is configured to be used for stacking weight blocks of different numbers and / or masses.

6. The device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate according to claim 5, characterized in that: The minimum mass of the weight block is 1 g.

7. The device for testing the force deformation of a microchannel plate according to claim 1, wherein: The diameter of the spherical indenter (24) ranges from 1 to 5 mm.

8. The method for testing the stress deformation of a microchannel plate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The test method includes: Clamping the microchannel plate (100) to be tested to the clamping mechanism (30); Applying pressure to the bottom center area of the clamped microchannel plate (100) through a controllable force applying device (20), wherein each application of pressure is set to change the pressure applied to the microchannel plate (100) with a pressure accuracy of 10 Nm; The deformation of the center of the microchannel plate (100) compared to the edge caused by each pressure application is detected by a tool microscope or a 3D profilometer located above the microchannel plate (100), and the longitudinal deformation of the central area of the microchannel plate (100) is recorded as L i , i=1,2,3,…, represents the detection sequence number; Based on the longitudinal deformation L of the central area generated during each detection i and the force F applied to the central region i , the deformation coefficient is calculated and the structural strength of the microchannel plate (100) is quantitatively characterized.

9. The method for testing the stress deformation of a microchannel plate according to claim 8, wherein: In the method, each application of pressure is configured to be achieved by stacking weight blocks of different numbers and / or masses, and the masses of the weight blocks are 10 g, 5 g, and 1 g, respectively.

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