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The detective quantum efficiency of the scintillator/photomultiplier in the scanning electron microscope
Author(s) -
Oatley C. W.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1985.tb02632.x
Subject(s) - detective quantum efficiency , photomultiplier , scintillator , dynode , optics , electron , physics , quantum efficiency , detector , computer science , image quality , nuclear physics , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
SUMMARY The efficiency of a scintillator for use with a photomultiplier in a scanning electron microscope has, in the past, been specified by its detective quantum efficiency (DQE). It is shown that this is likely to give misleading results since the DQE is the product of two factors, each of which may be influenced by the properties of the photomultiplier. It is further shown that there is reason to mistrust the theoretical basis on which the measurement of DQE rests. It is suggested that a better method of specifying the merit of a scintillator/photomultiplier system is by the mean number of electrons per pulse reaching the first dynode of the photomultiplier. A description is given of the way in which this quantity, ϕ, can be determined. Results of measurements of DQE and of ϕ for three commonly used scintillators are recorded.