Absolute detection efficiencies for keV energy atoms incident on a microchannel plate detector

The absolute detection efficiencies of a microchannel plate detector (MCP) were determined experimentally for neutral hydrogen, carbon, and tungsten atoms with impact energies of 0.5-4.5 keV. We measured detection efficiencies using our recently developed method, which uses coincidence counting between neutralized incident ions and ionized target atoms in single-electron capture collisions. The obtained detection efficiencies showed similar impact-energy and mass dependence to those of rare gas atoms (Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe), measured previously using our method. The detection efficiencies increased with increasing impact energy and converged to the open area ratio (similar to 50%) of the MCP used. The efficiencies at fixed energies decreased as the mass of the incident atom increased. The absolute detection efficiencies obtained for H, C, W, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe atoms could be scaled according to the average electron emission yield estimated using the formulas for electronic and nuclear stopping powers. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.