Patent ID: 7601937

Claim:
A photon detector ( 1 ) incorporating a photocathode ( 9 ) for the photon-induced triggering of measuring electrons; incorporating an at least one-dimensional electron-detector pixel array ( 12 ); incorporating an electron optics unit ( 15 ) for guiding the measuring electrons to the electron-detector pixel array ( 12 ); wherein each pixel ( 19 ) of the electron-detector pixel array ( 12 ) has: an electronic converter unit ( 20 ) for converting an analog measuring signal of the pixel ( 19 ) into a digital measuring signal, wherein the converter unit ( 20 ) incorporates a discriminator ( 27 ); an electronic post-processing unit ( 39 ) for post-processing of the digital measuring signal, characterized in that the converter unit ( 20 ) of each pixel ( 19 ) has: a signal connection to at least one clock generator ( 36 ); at least one counter ( 29 , 30 ) that is in signal connection with the clock generator ( 36 ) and with the discriminator ( 27 ) for generating a digital timing signal; the digital timing signal being such that it results from the number of clock cycles between a time-reference point (t start ) and the moment (t measurement ) of the arrival of an analog measuring signal that is not suppressed by the discriminator ( 27 ), at the counter ( 29 , 30 ).