Development and properties of 100 mm-square size LTCC-GEM

Abstract

Abstract We developed a gas electron multiplier (GEM) that is highly reliable against discharge using a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) as an insulating layer (LTCC-GEM). Because LTCC is an inorganic anti-carbonized material, LTCC-GEM is expected to be strong against breakdown. The gain properties of a single layer of 100 µm-thick LTCC-GEM with an effective area of 100 × 100 mm2 was evaluated in the gas mixture of 70% Ar and 30% CO2 at 1 atm. The maximum gain was approximately 3,500 at an applied voltage of 730 V and the gain variation was less than 3% over 14 hours of operation. In addition, the LTCC-GEM remained unbroken during the experiment despite more than 20,000 discharges at a high applied voltage of 730 V. We confirm that the LTCC-GEM is discharge-tolerant and has the same performance as traditional GEMs.