High Resolution Silicon Drift Detector Array Designed for XAFS Spectroscopy

We have analysed the performances of an array of 6 silicon drift detectors with on chip integrated JFET's for XAFS spectroscopy. The key advantage of these detectors is that they combine a very good energy resolution together with high counting rates: at 150 K the energy resolution was 139 eV FWHM at 5.89 keV with a 5 μs gaussian shaping time constant whereas it was still 152 eV FWHM for 0.5 μs time constant. Macrocyclic complexes of Ce (III) were used as test samples. We also explored whether or not the energy discrimination between the Lα, Lβ fluorescence lines could allow us to get rid the unwanted L n edge signature that is spoiling the L III edge EXAFS oscillations.