Long-Life™ MCP Selection Guide

Long-Life™ Microchannel PlatesLong-Life™ Microchannel Plates exclusively
from PHOTONIS provide sustained output up tofive times longer than other MCPs.

Extended Dynamic Range™ MCPs provide thehighest dynamic range available (EDR).
Detection Efficiency - PHOTONIS offers small
pore MCPs and optional enhancement coatings
for the highest possible detection efficiency.
TruFlite™ MountingPad™ MCPs reduce theTime-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer arrival time jitter.

PHOTONIS brings you the most advanced MCP technology in the WorldPHOTONIS products have led the industry in electro-optics
and fiber optics for over 40 years. We supply standard andcustom made products and offer personal expert service
designed to meet the rigorous demands of radiation detection
and signal amplification applications. Our unrivaled expertisein designing and manufacturing Long-Life™ Microchannel
Plates and related technology ensures the most sensitive andhighly-integrated systems available for today and tomorrow.
Our diverse manufacturing capabilities provide solutions forany detection application, no matter how unique. PHOTONIS
is the largest microchannel plate manufacturer in the world
with the most advanced equipment for producing MCPs andMCP Detector Assemblies (APDs) to add additional value.
PHOTONIS Long-Life™ Microchannel Plates use an
exclusive material which has demonstrated superior lifetime
characteristics in a wide range of detection and imaging
applications.

Long-Life™ Microchannel Plates
are the foundation for a variety
of applications including image
intensification, remote detection,
surface science, space science,high energy physics, and mass
spectrometry. They offer longer
life, higher gain, and lower
dark current than any othercommercially available
microchannel plate.

PHOTONIS 2-micron pore
MCP provide the highest spatial andtemporal resolution in the world.

Our unique MountingPad™ design minimizes MCP warping andcracking. TruFlite™ MCPs are optimized for flatness to reducetime jitter for Time-of-Flight applications.
This table will help you to select the right configuration for yourspecific application. If you have any questions or need assistance,
do not hesitate to contact us at sales@usa.photonis.com.

MCP 18 / 6 / 5 / 12 D 60:1 6.4CH EDR CSI 80FLAT, MS
Quality
Diameter(mm)18254075120150
Quality
Dimensions(mm)
1.4 x 1.3
12 x 1180 x 100
100 x 15100 x 80
123 x 41

Pitch
C-To-C(microns)
36101232

Pore Size
Diameter(microns)
2581025

direction of bias

LRectangularMCPs

MCP GradeD - Detection
I - ImageP - Premium

Bias Angle(degrees)0581219

Geometry(Blank) - Rimmed
MP - MountingPad™
NR - Rimless#CH – Center Hole(mm inner diameter)

Aspect Ratio(Thickness :Channel Diameter)
40:1
46:1
60:1
80:1

Additional Coatings(Blank) - None
AU - GoldCSI Cesium Iodide
MGF2 - Magnesium Fluoride
MGO - Magnesium Oxide
KBR - Potassium Bromide
CUI - Copper Iodide

Bias Current(Blank) - Standard
EDR - Extended
Dynamic Range™
#-#UA - Range(Microamps)

Flatness(Blank) - Standard#FLAT - Microns
out of Flat

Multiples(Quantity MCPs)(Blank) – Individual Plate (1)MS – Matched Set (2)MZ – Matched Z-Stack (3)TC – Tested Chevron™ (2)TZ – Tested Z-Stack (3)W

Custom MCPs

Bias Angle

In addition to the most complete line of standard MCPs available,
PHOTONIS also offers a wide range of custom products. Amongthe options available are: Custom formats (rectangular, annularsector, circular zone, virtually any shape and size), enhancement
coatings, optimized bias currents, specialized performance
testing, custom aspect ratios, custom electroding depths andSquare Pore MCPs e.g. for UV and X-ray focusing.

The bias angle of a microchannel plate is the angle of the channel
with the surface normal. It can be varied in order to optimize theangular dependency of UV and soft X-ray detection. Collimation
applications primarily select 0° bias angles. High resolution analog
detection applications are optimal at 5°. Chevron and Z-Stackassemblies perform best with 8° or 12° bias angle MCPs.

Pitch / Pore Size
The spatial and temporal resolution of microchannel plates varies
inversely with their center-to-center spacing (Pitch). Our highest
resolution 2μm pore MCPs are ideal for applications where image
detail or fast response time is important.

MCP Selection Guide

Three Classifications of MCPs

FormatDetection Grade MCPs are designed for a wide range ofsignal detection applications where devices are used as
single-point detectors and amplifiers. Detection grade istypical for Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry, residual gas
analysis and point detectors. Detection grade is the best
choice and value for non-imaging applications.

PHOTONIS offers a wide rangeof standard and custom formats
such as rectangular, arced or withmounting holes, and in virtually any
shape and size.

MountingPad™ Technology
Image Grade MCPs are designed for imaging or position
sensing applications. When used in conjunction with anappropriate readout, these devices provide an intensified highresolution image. Image grade is found in such applications
as image intensifier tubes, ultra-fast cathode ray tubes andvarious analytical techniques such as ESCA, magnetic sector
mass spectrometry and VUV spectrometry.

PHOTONIS’ patented
MountingPad™ Technology
provides advantages over both
Rimmed and Rimless MCPs by virtually eliminating MCP
warping and cracking that can occur with moisture absorbtion.

Coatings
Premium Grade MCPs are manufactured to the highest quality
specifications achievable. They are used in precision imaging
applications requiring superior image quality such as highspeed photography, image intensifiers and other electronic
imaging applications. Premium grade MCPs are
the preferred choice for space applications where productreliability and performance are critical.

Extended Dynamic Range™
The dynamic range of an MCP is ultimately limited, at highcount rates, by the bias current. Secondary electrons produce
a region of charge depletion at the emissive surface. Further
multiplication cannot occur until the charge is replenished.
The Extended Dynamic Range™ (EDR) option will typicallyincrease the detection limit by a factor of ten.

Aspect Ratio
PHOTONIS offers Standard 40:1 Channel Length-to-Diameter(L/D) ratio or Advanced Performance 60:1 L/D ratio MCPs.
Standard MCPs have been optimized and demonstratesuperior performance for imaging applications. Advanced
Performance MCPs are the preferred devices for mostdetection applications. Advanced Performance MCPs provide
a higher gain and narrower Pulse Height Distribution andwith their higher length-to-diameter ratio a thicker, morerobust microchannel plate. This ensures greater mechanicaldurability and simplifies handling and assembly operations.

The standard MCP electroding
coating is NiCr. Cesium Iodide(CsI), Copper Iodide (CuI), andMagnesium Fluoride (MgF2) enhancethe detection of ultraviolet photons
from 20 to 200 nm. MgO improves
electron detection efficiency. KBr
improves detection efficiency of soft
X-rays in the 0.2 to 9 keV range.
Gold (Au) electrodes are available
for rapid charge replenishment.
PHOTONIS also offers stripline coatings on MCPs. Stripline
MCPs are image-grade detectors with several layers ofelectroding material to sequentially capture high-speed
charged particle events.

MCP Performance Characteristics
Configuration

L/D Ratio

Max. Voltage

Gain
3Pulse Height

CEMA
1 MCP

40:1
60:1

1000
1200>4x10>1x104

Neg. Exp.
Neg. Exp.

ChevronTM
2 MCPs

40:1
60:1

2000
2400>4x106>1x107<175%<100%Z-Stack
3 MCPs

40:1
60:1

3000
3600

>3x107>2x108

<120%
< 60%

MCP Configurations
Matching the bias currents of an MCP set allows the set to be
operated by a single power supply, which eliminates the needfor center tabs and voltage dividers, leading to improvementsin spatial resolution and Pulse Height Distribution. Thereare two basic modes of MCP Operation, i.e. Pulse Counting
detection and Current Amplifier Mode (or Analog Mode).
• MS: Matched Set – 2 matched resistance MCPs suitable
for a Chevron™.
• TC: Tested as a Chevron™ – 2 matched resistance
MCPs tested in the high gain Chevron™ configuration.
• MZ: Matched Z – 3 matched resistance MCPs suitable
for making a Z-Stack.
• TZ: Tested as a Z-Stack – 3 matched MCPs tested in thehigh gain Z-Stack configuration.

Applications
Some of the PHOTONIS Advanced PerformanceLong-Life™ Microchannel Plate Detector Applications:• Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry• Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)• Focused Ion Beam (FIB)• e-Beam/ X-Ray Lithography• Particle Physics• Residual Gas Analysis (RGA)• Ion Beam Profiling• Plasma Profiling• Semiconductor Metrology• High Energy Physics• Space Exploration