YAG / YAP Single Crystal SEM Scintillators

Overview

Single crystal YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) and YAP (Yttrium Aluminum Perovskite) scintillators are the long-life alternative to P-47 powder scintillators for SEM Everhart-Thornley type detectors. These single crystal materials will outlive the lifetime of most scanning electron microscopes, though they exhibit slightly slower response times than P-47 powder. The biggest benefit of a YAG or YAP scintillator over a powder scintillator is realized in systems with relatively clean vacuum chambers; in dirty vacuum systems the crystal requires periodic cleaning to maintain its favorable characteristics. Discs are supplied pre-sized for specific detector mounting geometries across major SEM brands.

Performance Trade-off vs. P-47

YAG and YAP single crystal scintillators last essentially indefinitely compared to powder scintillators but respond slightly more slowly than P-47 powder. Selecting between the two materials is a trade-off between response speed and long-term durability.

Instrument-Specific Discs

YAG discs are offered for FEI/Philips (20 x 2 mm), JEOL 50A/35/6000F series and Leitz/AMRAY (20 x 1 mm), Amray/Cambridge/LEO/Amray 1200 (10 x 1 mm), Cambridge/Balscan (18 x 1 mm), and JEOL 25/733/T/800/6000 series (8.8 x 2 mm). YAP discs are available for Amray/Cambridge/LEO/Amray 1200 (10 x 1 mm) and ETEC (9 x 3 mm) detector geometries.

Specifications