A concise review on THGEM detectors

Abstract

We briefly review the concept and properties of the Thick GEM (THGEM); it is a robust, high-gain gaseous electron multiplier, manufactured economically by standard printed-circuit drilling and etching technology. Its operation and structure resemble that of GEMs but with 5 to 20-fold expanded dimensions. The millimeter-scale hole-size results in good electron transport and in large avalanche-multiplication factors, e.g. reaching 10^7 in double-THGEM cascaded single-photoelectron detectors. The multiplier's material, parameters and shape can be application-tailored; it can operate practically in any counting gas, including noble gases, over a pressure range spanning from 1 mbar to several bars; its operation at cryogenic (LAr) conditions was recently demonstrated. The high gain, sub-millimeter spatial resolution, high counting-rate capability, good timing properties and the possibility of industrial production capability of large-area robust detectors, pave ways towards a broad spectrum of potential applications; some are discussed here in brief.

8 pages, 11 figures; Invited Review at INSTR08, Novosibirsk, Feb 28-March 5 2008

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• A Concept for A Dark Matter Detector Using Liquid Helium-4
• First operation of a double phase LAr Large Electron Multiplier Time Projection Chamber with a two-dimensional projective readout anode
• Advances in Cryogenic Avalanche Detectors
• THGEM operation in Ne and Ne/CH4
• Optical readout tracking detector concept using secondary scintillation from liquid argon generated by a thick gas electron multiplier
• Development of Thick-foil and Fine-pitch GEMs with a Laser Etching Technique
• Towards THGEM UV-photon detectors for RICH: on single-photon detection efficiency in Ne/CH4 and Ne/CF4
• Further evaluation of a THGEM UV-photon detector for RICH - comparison with MWPC
• CsI-THGEM gaseous photomultipliers for RICH and noble-liquid detectors
• First studies with the Resistive-Plate WELL gaseous multiplier
• THGEM-based detectors for sampling elements in DHCAL: laboratory and beam evaluation
• Development of high-gain gaseous photomultipliers for the visible spectral range
• Performance study of the effective gain of the double phase liquid Argon LEM Time Projection Chamber
• Direct observation of avalanche scintillations in a THGEM-based two-phase Ar avalanche detector using Geiger-mode APD
• Review of Liquid Argon Detector Technologies in the Neutrino Sector
• Liquid Hole-Multipliers: A potential concept for large single-phase noble-liquid TPCs of rare events
• Electroluminescence and electron avalanching in two-phase detectors
• SiPM-matrix readout of two-phase argon detectors using electroluminescence in the visible and near infrared range
• The Thick-COBRA: a New Gaseous Electron Multiplier for Radiation Detectors
• Infrared scintillation yield in gaseous and liquid argon
• First results on light readout from the 1-ton ArDM liquid argon detector for dark matter searches
• First observation of liquid-xenon proportional electroluminescence in THGEM holes
• On the operation of a Micropattern Gaseous UV-Photomultiplier in Liquid-Xenon
• Liquid Hole Multipliers: bubble-assisted electroluminescence in liquid xenon
• Beam Studies of the Segmented Resistive WELL: a Potential Thin Sampling Element for Digital Hadron Calorimetry
• Gain limits of a Thick GEM in high-purity Ne, Ar and Xe
• Laboratory studies of THGEM-based WELL structures with resistive anodes
• Optical Readout of a Two Phase Liquid Argon TPC using CCD Camera and THGEMs
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• Geiger Mode APD performance in a cryogenic two-phase Ar avalanche detector based on THGEMs
• First demonstration of THGEM/GAPD-matrix optical readout in two-phase Cryogenic Avalanche Detector in Ar
• MPGDs in Compton imaging with liquid-xenon
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• Two-phase Cryogenic Avalanche Detector with electroluminescence gap operated in argon doped with nitrogen
• First in-beam studies of a Resistive-Plate WELL gaseous multiplier
• Recent advances with THGEM detectors
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• A sealed ceramic GEM-based neutron detector
• X-ray ionization yields and energy spectra in liquid argon
• The Resistive-Plate WELL with Argon mixtures - a robust gaseous radiation detector
• First results of a large-area cryogenic gaseous photomultiplier coupled to a dual-phase liquid xenon TPC
• The Thick Gas Electron Multiplier and its derivatives: physics, technologies and applications
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• ARIADNE -- A Novel Optical LArTPC: Technical Design Report and Initial Characterisation using a Secondary Beam from the CERN PS and Cosmic Muons
• First demonstration of VUV-photon detection in liquid xenon with THGEM and GEM-based Liquid Hole Multipliers
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• A Novel Method of Encoded Multiplexing Readout for Micro-pattern Gas Detectors
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• Signal Formation in THGEM-like Detectors
• Fast-neutron and gamma-ray imaging with a capillary liquid xenon converter coupled to a gaseous photomultiplier
• MPPC versus MRS APD in two-phase Cryogenic Avalanche Detectors
• Study of infrared scintillations in gaseous and liquid argon - Part I: methodology and time measurements
• On the localization properties of an RPWELL gas-avalanche detector
• Recent Advances in Bubble-Assisted Liquid Hole Multipliers in Liquid Xenon
• Characterization of a gas detector prototype based on Thick-GEM for the MAGNEX focal plane detector
• Optical readout: a tool for studying gas-avalanche processes
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• Systematic investigation of critical charge limits in Thick GEMs
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• First Imaging Results of a Bubble-assisted Liquid Hole Multiplier with SiPM readout in Liquid Xenon
• Bubble-assisted Liquid Hole Multipliers in LXe and LAr: towards "local dual-phase TPCs"
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• First results of Resistive-Plate Well (RPWELL) detector operation at 163 K
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