Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
Over the last several years there has been growing interest directed toward high-resolution energy-dispersive x-ray detectors which operate at room temperature. The goal has been to develop a detector which combines the advantages of room-temperature operation characteristic of scintillation and proportional counters with the excellent energy resolution of silicon and germanium cryogenically cooled spectrometers. The elimination of the cryogenic coolant and the associated vacuum cryostat will permit the design and construction of really miniature and practically convenient x-ray detection systems which will find applications In already existing instruments as well as in various new fields.