Photons in the soft X-ray and vacuum ultraviolet (XUV) spectral range are being used presently in several applications such as spectroscopy, imaging, diachromatic absorption radiography, photobiology and for therapeutical purpose. XUV detectors available presently like photographic films, electron tubes and charge coupled devices have one problem or another in the XUV spectral region. In this proposed work, a 256x256 element three dimensional area detector will be developed based on the XUV p-n junction diode array technology developed during phase I research and the existing charge-coupled-devices technology. If fabricated successfully, the radiation hardness of these devices will be about 10,000 times more than the hardness of present CCDs. This will make the proposed arrays extremely attractive for soft X-ray microscopy and other biological applications. Fabrication of a double sided 5 mm diameter active area detector for operation in pulsed mode capable of making energy measurements in the whole XUV spectral region has also been proposed. We anticipate that these double sided silicon XUV detectors will outperform presently used lithium doped silicon (Si:Li) detectors for energy measurement. Performance of the proposed devices will be tested at the X1A beamline of National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory and at the biological beamline of the Wisconsin synchrotron.
