Evidence for polyimide redeposition and possible correlation with sparks in Gas Electron Multipliers working in CF${}_4$ mixtures

Abstract

Research on aging processes of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) is important to obtain insights on how to increase the detector's longevity, stability, and performance, as highlighted in the latest developments roadmap by the European Council of Future Accelerators (ECFA). One key aspect of the aging process is the deposit formation on the electrodes surfaces. In this work, through the analysis of the molecular content on the surface of a used GEM, we provide evidence for polyimide redeposition as a source of organic material contributing to the formation of insulating layers on the electrodes, which eventually lead to sparks and detector failure. Furthermore, we show that chromium, used to promote adhesion between copper and polyimide, in the device undergoes a diffusion process, effectively blurring the layered structure. We demonstrate the significance of surface-sensitive chemical analysis to investigate the surface deposits on electrodes of gaseous detectors and our results reveal the necessity of standardization and more stringent study protocols.

19 pages and 10 figures

References in corpus (5)

• The upgrade of the ALICE TPC with GEMs and continuous readout
• Characterization of a gas detector prototype based on Thick-GEM for the MAGNEX focal plane detector
• Development and operation of the CGEM Inner Tracker for the BESIII experiment
• Application of recoil-imaging time projection chambers to directional neutron background measurements in the SuperKEKB accelerator tunnel
• Performance of a large aperture GEM-like gating device for the International Linear Collider