Abstract: A semiconductor radiation detector comprises a detector chip having a front side and a back side, and a support plate on the back side of the detector chip, having electric connections with said detector chip. A base plate has a thermoelectric cooler attached to it and contact pins protruding from the base plate towards said detector chip. A bonding plate is on an opposite side of said thermoelectric cooler than said base plate, and first wire bonded connections go between said contact pins and said bonding plate. A joint plate is between said bonding plate and said support plate, and electric connections between said support plate and said bonding plate go through said joint plate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a piece of semiconductor material. On a surface of said piece of semiconductor material, a number of electrodes exist and are configured to assume different electric potentials. A guard structure comprises a two-dimensional array of conductive patches, at least some of which are left to assume an electric potential under the influence of electric potentials existing at said electrodes.

Abstract: A portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer comprises a detector of ionizing radiation that is configured to detect radiation from spontaneous radioactive decay within an environment of the portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer and or ionizing radiation that propagates past a front end of the portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer towards its user.

Abstract: A semiconductor detector head comprises a detector chip having a front side and a back side, and a substrate on the back side of said detector chip. Contact points are located on at least one of said substrate and said detector chip. A first set of contact pins protrude on an opposite side of said substrate than said detector chip. At least one of the contact pins of said first set is conductively coupled to at least one of said contact points. A base plate holds a second set of contact pins that protrude from said base plate towards the contact pins of said first set. Electric connections are made between matching pairs of contact pins of said first and second sets.

Abstract: A semiconductor radiation detector includes a bulk layer of semiconductor material. On a first side of said bulk layer is an arrangement of field electrodes and a collection electrode for collecting radiation-induced signal charges from said bulk layer. A radiation shield exists on a second side of said bulk layer, opposite to said first side, which radiation shield selectively overlaps the location of said collection electrode.

Abstract: A portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer comprises a detector of ionizing radiation that is configured to detect radiation from spontaneous radioactive decay within an environment of the portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer and or ionizing radiation that propagates past a front end of the portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer towards its user.

Abstract: A radiation detector comprises a piece of semiconducting material. On its surface, a number of consecutive electrode strips are configured to assume electric potentials of sequentially increasing absolute value. A field plate covers the most of a separation between a pair of adjacent electrode strips and is isolated from the most of said separation by an electric insulation layer. A bias potential is coupled to said field plate so that attracts surface-generated charge carriers.

Abstract: A semiconductor detector head comprises a detector chip having a front side and a back side, and a substrate on the back side of said detector chip. Contact points are located on at least one of said substrate and said detector chip. A first set of contact pins protrude on an opposite side of said substrate than said detector chip. At least one of the contact pins of said first set is conductively coupled to at least one of said contact points. A base plate holds a second set of contact pins that protrude from said base plate towards the contact pins of said first set. Electric connections are made between matching pairs of contact pins of said first and second sets.

Abstract: A radiation window membrane and for covering an opening in an X-ray device is presented, as well a method for its manufacturing. Said openings are such through which X-rays are to pass. The membrane comprises a window base layer and a pinhole-blocking layer on a surface of said window base layer. Said pinhole-blocking layer comprises graphene.

Abstract: A semiconductor radiation detector crystal is patterned by using a Q-switched laser to selectively remove material from a surface of said semiconductor radiation detector crystal, thus producing a groove in said surface that penetrates deeper than the thickness of a diffused layer on said surface.

Abstract: A gas tight radiation window membrane comprises a layered diffusion barrier with a reactive metal layer (201) covered on both sides by cover layers (202, 203). An originally continuous carrier layer (101) can be made a mesh that has openings coincident with openings of a reinforcement grid (105), while the gas tight diffusion barrier (107, 507) spans as a continuous film over said openings in said mesh.

Abstract: A window membrane is permeable to electromagnetic radiation, especially soft X-rays. It comprises a film (201) and a metallic reinforcement mesh (202) attached to the film (201). A preferable way of attaching the metallic reinforcement mesh (202) to the film is to use a positive-working photosensitive glue (204) and allow the reinforcement mesh (202) to act as the exposure mask.

Abstract: An X-ray fluorescence measurement device comprises an X-ray source and a sample window for allowing X-rays from the X-ray source reach a sample. A filter arrangement between the X-ray source and the sample window includes a first filter layer comprising a first filtering element and a second filter layer including a second filtering element. The atomic number of the second filtering element is greater than the atomic number of the first filtering element. The first filter layer is between the X-ray source and the second filter layer.

Abstract: An X-ray source (101) is configured to controllably irradiate a sample (105) with incident X-rays through a sample window (104) that has a two-dimensional area. A detector (102) is configured to detect fluorescent radiation coming from the irradiated sample. A carrier (301, 401, 402, 501, 601) is essentially transparent to X-rays and disposed to spatially coincide with a substantial part of the two-dimensional area of the sample window (104). Marker material (303, 403, 602), which is responsive to X-rays by emitting fluorescent radiation, is mechanically supported by said carrier and essentially evenly distributed across at least that part of the carrier that spatially coincides with said two-dimensional area of the sample window.

Abstract: An X-ray fluorescence analyzer device comprises an X-ray source and a sample window. Between the X-ray source and the sample window there are a collimator plate with a plurality of microscopic pores and an annular plate comprising material essentially opaque to X-rays. The annular plate defines an area transparent to X-rays. The pores in said collimator plate let through collimated X-rays radiated by said X-ray source towards said sample window. The area transparent to X-rays in said annular plate spatially limits in a transverse direction a beam of X-rays radiated by said X-ray source towards said sample window.

Abstract: An arrangement and a method are provided for non-destructively analyzing the composition of a delicate sample. The value of the sample depends at least partly on absence of visual defects. A laser source (301) produces a pulsed laser beam, and focusing optics (302) focus said pulsed laser beam into a focal spot on the sample. A sensor (312) receives and detects optical emissions from particles of the sample excited by said pulsed laser beam. A processing subsystem (111) produces information of the composition of the sample based on the optical emissions detected by said sensor (312).

Abstract: An X-ray fluorescence analyzer has a structure that defines a chamber (102). There is a window (103) to the chamber in a surface that is to come next to a sample (101) outside the chamber. The window (103) comprises a foil that is permeable to X-rays. A detector (104) receives fluorescent X-rays through said window (103). A low pressure source (508) is coupled to the chamber (102) and configured to controllably lower the pressure of a gaseous medium in the chamber (102) to a pressure value between 760 torr and 10 torr. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer maintains a lowered pressure of a value between 760 torr and 10 torr in the chamber (102) for the duration of an X-ray fluorescence measurement.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy comprises a handheld unit with a pump laser and a controller. A combination of a solid laser medium and a Q-switch receive a laser beam from said pump laser. Focusing optics focus laser pulses from said combination to a focal spot at a sample. Light collection optics collect light from plasma induced of sample material by focused laser pulses. A spectrometer receives collected light and produces information describing its spectral distribution. A power source delivers electric power to other parts of the apparatus. The pump laser, combination, focusing optics, light collection optics, spectrometer and power source are parts of said handheld unit.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus and method are provided for determining the material composition of a sample. An X-ray fluorescence detector (412) detects fluorescent X-rays coming from said sample under irradiation with incident X-rays. A laser source (301) is adapted to produce a laser beam. Focusing optics (302) focus said laser beam into a focal spot on a surface of said sample. An optical sensor (312) detects optical emissions coming from particles of said sample upon being exposed to said laser beam at said focal spot. A gas administration subsystem (104, 105, 106, 107, 108) is adapted to controllably deliver gas to a space (101) around said focal spot.

Abstract: In an x-ray tube comprising a housing, which define an enclosure, a cathode arrangement, which emits electrons within the enclosure, and a window, which seals an end of the enclosure, the window comprises a carrier layer and, on a side of the carrier layer that faces the enclosure, a layered anode arrangement having certain characteristics.