Elementary Particles Gas Detector Reading Plate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gas detectors for elementary particles face manufacturing complexity and sensitivity differences among conductive strips, which complicate the detection of multiple impact points and require additional compensation mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A gas detector design where all conductive tiles are fabricated simultaneously on the same front face of the dielectric layer, with identical surface areas and distances from the outer face, eliminating the need for sensitivity compensation and simplifying the manufacturing process, and using a resistive layer to distribute avalanche charges over a larger surface for improved spatial resolution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conductive strips are made on different levels of depth in the dielectric layer to achieve electrical insulation while crossing, then spatial resolution and ability to determine multiple impact points is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial resolutionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a three-dimensional arrangement (conductive strips at different depths) to a two-dimensional arrangement (conductive strips on the same plane). This is achieved by using conductive tiles that are all located on the same front face of the dielectric layer, eliminating the need for multi-level fabrication while maintaining the ability to determine multiple impact points through the periodic paving pattern and charge distribution analysis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If conductive strips are made on different levels of depth, then the ability to determine multiple simultaneous impact points is improved, but sensitivity differences among strips require compensation mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact point determination accuracyVSAvoidsensitivity compensation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies equipotentiality by ensuring all conductive tiles are located at the same distance from the outer face of the dielectric layer. This creates uniform electrical conditions for all tiles, eliminating sensitivity differences that would otherwise require compensation mechanisms. The periodic paving pattern ensures that all tiles have identical geometric and electrical properties relative to the gas chamber

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent achieves homogeneity by making all conductive tiles identical in size, shape, and position relative to the outer face. This uniformity ensures that all tiles have the same sensitivity characteristics, allowing direct comparison of charge measurements without requiring sensitivity matching or compensation for positional variations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

3Measurement precision

If individual conductive pads are used instead of conductive strips, then spatial resolution is improved, but the number of sensor inputs required increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial resolutionVSAvoidnumber of sensor inputs
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functionality of multiple individual conductive pads into fewer conductive tiles arranged in a periodic paving pattern. By connecting adjacent tiles of the same color, the system maintains the spatial resolution benefits of fine-grained segmentation while reducing the number of independent sensor inputs through signal integration across multiple tiles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution simplifies the manufacturing of the reading plate and detector, ensures uniform sensitivity among conductive strips, and enhances the ability to determine multiple impact points accurately without ambiguity, improving spatial resolution and reducing the number of sensor inputs required.

Implementation Method 1

a gas chamber containing a gas capable of generating at least one primary charge when it is crossed by the elementary particle to be detected, this primary charge being either an electron or an ion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIonization: Ionisation

Implementation Method 2

an amplification device capable, from the charge primary generated, to produce an avalanche of secondary charges

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAvalanche breakdown: Avalanche Breakdown

Data Source

PatentEP3583446B1Elementary particles gas detector
Publication Date: 2022.11.02 UNIV CLAUDE BERNARD LYON 1
  • EP3583446B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3583446B1 patent drawingFigure 2~5
  • EP3583446B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

This gaseous detector of elementary particles is equipped with a reading plate comprising: - conductive tiles (80) that are all identical to one another and all situated at the same distance from an outer face (39), said conductive tiles being distributed over the front face of a dielectric layer (72) and being mechanically separated from one another by a dielectric material (76), the smallest dimension of each tile being greater than 300 µm, and - electrical connections (88), situated under the dielectric layer (72), which electrically connect conductive tiles in a series so as to form conductive strips, said electrical connections being arranged so that each conductive tile belongs to only one conductive strip and each side of a tile is adjacent to the side of another tile belonging to another conductive strip.