A LARGE-FORMAT HIGH-RESOLUTION AREA X-RAY-DETECTOR BASED ON A FIBEROPTICALLY BONDED CHARGE-COUPLED-DEVICE (CCD)

An efficient two-dimensional X-ray detector based on direct imaging of an X-ray-sensitive phosphor with a high-resolution (1024 x 1024) char ge-coupled device (CCD) array has been constructed and characterized. High detective quantum efficiency is obtained without an intensificati on stage through direct coupling of the phosphor to the CCD with a fib er-optic taper. The CCD is read out directly into computer memory, per mitting X-ray images to be evaluated immediately after exposure withou t the need for a time-consuming scanning operation. The device has a l arge dynamic range, excellent spatial resolution and low noise charact eristics, making it suitable both for macromolecular crystallography a nd for recording the weak diffuse signals encountered in small-angle d iffraction experiments. Analysis of crystallography data taken at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source gave R(sym) values equal or sup erior to those of other recording media for several protein and virus crystals.