Spectrometer detectors
The detector is a key component of a spectrometer, capturing photons after they pass through the optical system and are separated by wavelength.
When captured, these photons are converted into an electrical signal, where the strength of the signal corresponds to the number of photons detected.
Detectors come in various materials and configurations, each optimized for different applications. Selecting the right one depends on factors such as cost, speed, sensitivity, and noise performance. To accommodate diverse needs, we offer multiple detector options for most of our spectrometers.
Our spectrometers can be supplied with either a raw detector pinout for direct interfacing or our DISB (Digital Image Sensor Board) electronics for seamless integration and ease of use. The detector is given a three digit identifier used in the name of the spectrometer. For example, the FREEDOM FSV-101 and other spectrometers with a “101” ending all use the CMOS S11639 detector.
CMOS Detectors
CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductors) detectors are a class of detectors often characterized by their simplicity and ease of operation.
Modern CMOS detectors are highly sensitive and strike a good balance between sensitivity, noise, speed and cost, making them an ideal choice for many spectroscopy applications. As a result, they find use in anything from LIBS to absorbance spectroscopy.
| S11639-01 | S14739-20 | S13496 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrometer suffix no. | 101 | 105 | 109 |
| Supported DISB electronics | DISB-101T | DISB-105 | DISB-101T |
| Pixels size | 14 x 200 µm | 14 x 200 µm | 7 x 200 µm |
| Pixel pitch | 14 µm | 14 µm | 7 µm |
| Number of pixels | 2048 x 1 | 256 x 1 | 4096 x 1 |
| Max. Line-rate | 4672 Hz | 28735 Hz | 2387 Hz |
| Min. Integration time | 5.4 µs | 5.4 µs | 5.4 µs |
| Electronic shutter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Typical SNR 1 | 380:1 | 380:1 | 380:1 |
| Typ. Dynarmic Range 2 | 5000:1 | 5000:1 | 5000:1 |
| Typ. Power Consumption 3 | 150 mW | 75 mW | 200 mW |
| Spectral range (Usable) | 180-1100 nm | 180-1100 nm | 180-1100 nm |
| Peak Sensitivity wavelength | 700 nm | 700 nm | 700 nm |
| TE-cooling | Uncooled | Uncooled | Uncooled |
| Operating Temperature | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC |
| Storage Temperature | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC |
NMOS Detectors
Linear NMOS (N-channel Metal-Oxide Semoconductors) detectors consist of a self-scanning photodiode array and is ideal for multichannel spectroscopy, where very high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) are required.
NMOS detectors offer a number of benefits, such as low power consumption, a large photosensitive array (pixels), and well depths providing a wide dynamic range, high SNR and excellent linearity.
The large pixel size and well depth of NMOS detectors typically make them less suited for applications requiring high optical resolution or short integration times.
A common use case would be absorbance spectroscopy, where a high dynamic range is often required.
| S8380 | S8381 | S8382 | S8383 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrometer suffix no. | 220 | 220 | 290 | 290 |
| Supported DISB electronics | DISB-220 | DISB-220 | DISB-290 | DISB-290 |
| Pixels size | 45 x 2500 µm | 20 x 2500 µm | 45 x 2500 µm | 20 x 2500 µm |
| Pixel pitch | 50 µm | 25 µm | 50 µm | 25 µm |
| Number of pixels | 128, 256 or 512 x 1 | 256, 512 or 1024 x 1 | 128, 256 or 512 x 1 | 256, 512 or 1024 x 1 |
| Max. Line-rate | 3900, 7800 or 15600 Hz | 1950, 3900 or 7800 Hz | 3900, 7800 or 15600 Hz | 1950, 3900 or 7800 Hz |
| Min. Integratin time | 0.1 ms | 0.1 ms | 0.1 ms | 0.1 ms |
| Electronic shutter | No | No | No | No |
| Typ. SNR 1 | 10000:1 | 10000:1 | 10000:1 | 10000:1 |
| Typ. Dynarmic Range 2 | 20000:1 | 20000:1 | 20000:1 | 20000:1 |
| Typ. Power Consumption 3 | 1 mW | 1 mW | 1 mW | 1 mW |
| Spectral range (Usable) | 190-1100 nm | 190-1100 nm | 190-1100 nm | 190-1100 nm |
| Peak Sensitivity wavelength | 750 nm | 750 nm | 750 nm | 750 nm |
| TE-cooling 4 | Uncooled | Uncooled | 1-Stage | 1-Stage |
| Operating Temperature | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC | -40 to +65 oC |
| Storage Temperature | -40 to +85 oC | -40 to +85 oC | -40 to +85 oC | -40 to +85 oC |
BT-CCD Detectors
Back-Thinned Charged-Coupled Devices (BT-CCD) are a class of detectors characterised by their very high quantum efficiency, low noise and smooth spectral response.
They are therefore typically found in applications requiring a combination of high sensitivity and low noise, such as Raman or LIBS spectroscopy.
BT-CCD detectors come in many different configurations. Some BT-CCDs consist of tall 2D pixels arrays making them ideal for applications where tall fiber bundle and/or pixel binning is required, while others are made with electronic shutters for ultra-fast measurement, where timing is essential.
| S10420-1006 | S10420-1106 | S11156-2048-02 | S11850-1106 | S14651-2048 | S16011-1106 | S7031-1007S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrometer suffix no. | 305 | 315 | 380 | 386 | 388 | 386 | 394 |
| Supported DISB electronics | DISB-315T | DISB-315T | DISB-380 | DISB-386 | DISB-386 | DISB-386 | NA. |
| Pixels size | 14 x 14 µm | 14 x 14 µm | 14 x 1000 µm | 14 x 14 µm | 14 x 14 µm | 14 x 14 µm | 24 x 24 µm |
| Pixel pitch | 14 µm | 14 µm | 14 µm | 14 µm | 14 µm | 14 µm | 24 µm |
| Number of pixels | 1024 x 64 | 2048 x 64 | 2048 x 1 | 2048 x 64 | 2048 x 192 | 2048 x 64 | 1044 x 128 |
| Max. Line-rate | 341 Hz | 200 Hz | 4633 Hz | 200 Hz | 68 Hz | 200 Hz | 387 Hz |
| Min. integration time | 2.939 ms | 4.987 ms | 2 µs | 4.987 ms | 6.523 ms | 4.987 ms | 2.58 ms |
| Electronic shutter | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Typ. SNR 1 | 542:1 | 542:1 | 350:1 | 542:1 | 542:1 | 542:1 | 1000:1 |
| Typ. Dynarmic Range 2 | 50000:1 | 50000:1 | 6670:1 | 50000:1 | 50000:1 | 50000:1 | 40000:1 |
| Typ. Power Consumption 3 | 4 mW | 4 mW | 75 mW | 4 mW | 4 mW | 4 mW | 13 mW |
| Spectral range (Usable) | 180-1100 nm | 180-1100 nm | 180-1100 nm | 180-1100 nm | 180-1100 nm | 200-1100 nm | 200-1100 nm |
| Peak Sensitivity wavelength | 600 nm | 600 nm | 600 nm | 600 nm | 600 nm | 700 nm | 650 nm |
| TE-cooling | Uncooled | Uncooled | Uncooled | 1-Stage (+5 oC) | 1-Stage (+5 oC) | 1-Stage (+5 oC) | 1-Stage (-10 oC) |
| Operating Temperature | -50 to +50 oC | -50 to +50 oC | -50 to +60 oC | -50 to +50 oC | -50 to +50 oC | -50 to +50 oC | -50 to +50 oC |
| Storage Temperature | -50 to +70 oC | -50 to +70 oC | -50 to +70 oC | -50 to +70 oC | -50 to +70 oC | -50 to +70 oC | -50 to +70 oC |
InGaAs Detectors
InGaAs (Indium Gallium Arsenide) detectors are cutting-edge sensors designed specifically for near-infrared (NIR) detection. With models covering wavelengths from 900 nm to 2500 nm, these detectors offer a high dynamic range and significantly minimized dark current.
Linear InGaAs detectors feature integrated CMOS Readout Circuitry (ROIC), making them easy to operate and seamlessly integrate into various systems — all while supporting high line rates for rapid data acquisition.
Detectors can be manufactured with either a Front-Illuminated or Back-Illuminated structure:
Front-Illuminated detectors (Hamamatsu G11508, G11476, G11477) provide exceptional quantum efficiency (QE) and a broad spectral response, ensuring high sensitivity across the NIR spectrum.
Back-Illuminated detectors (Hamamatsu G13913, G11620, G14714) offer a compact form factor and narrow pixel pitch, making them ideal for space-constrained applications.
| G13913-256FG | G11620-256DA | G11620-512DA | G11476N-128LB | G11477-256WB | G11508-256SA | G11508-512SA | G14714-1024DG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrometer suffix no. | 400 | 410 | 411 | 415 | 466 | 470 | 471 | 485 |
| Supported DISB electronics | DISB-400 | DISB-411 | DISB-411 | DISB-415 | DISB-466 | DISB-466 | DISB-466 | DISB-485 |
| Pixels size | 10 x 250 µm | 30 x 500 µm | 10 x 500 µm | 30 x 250 µm | 30 x 250 µm | 30 x 500 µm | 10 x 500 µm | 12.5 x 250 µm |
| Pixel pitch | 25 µm | 50 µm | 25 µm | 50 µm | 50 µm | 50 µm | 25 µm | 12.5 µm |
| Number of pixels | 256 x 1 | 256 x 1 | 512 x 1 | 128 x 1 | 256 x 1 | 256 x 1 | 512 x 1 | 1024 x 1 |
| Max. Line-rate | 7290 Hz | 17200 Hz | 9150 Hz | 30800 Hz | 17200 Hz | 17200 Hz | 9150 Hz | 40000 Hz |
| Min. Integratin time | 1 µs | 12 µs | 12 µs | 1.2 µs | 1 µs | 1 µs | 1 µs | 17.47 µs |
| Electronic shutter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Typ. SNR 1 | 12000:1 | 12000:1 | 12000:1 | 12000:1 | 12000:1 | 12000:1 | 12000:1 | 200:1 |
| Typ. Dynarmic Range 2 | 14667:1 | 14000:1 | 14000:1 | 14000:1 | 14000:1 | 14000:1 | 14000:1 | 213:1 |
| Typ. Power Consumption 3 | 66 mW | 275 mW | 400 mW | 175 mW | 225 mW | 225 mW | 425 mW | 313.5 mW |
| Spectral range (Usable) | 950-1700 nm | 950-1700 nm | 950-1700 nm | 900-2050 nm | 900-2150 nm | 900-1670 nm | 900-1670 nm | 950-1700 nm |
| Peak Sensitivity wavelength | 1550 nm | 1550 nm | 1550 nm | 1950 nm | 1950 nm | 1550 nm | 1550 nm | 1550 nm |
| TE-cooling | Uncooled | Uncooled | Uncooled | Uncooled | 2-Stage (-20 oC) | 1-Stage (-10 oC) | 1-Stage (-10 oC) | Uncooled |
| Operating Temperature | -10 to +60 oC | -10 to +60 oC | -10 to +60 oC | -10 to +60 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -10 to +60 oC |
| Storage Temperature | -20 to +70 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -40 to 85 oC | -40 to 85 oC | -40 to 85 oC | -20 to +70 oC |
Cameras for Spectroscopy
Cameras are self-contained modules that include a detector, electronics, and casing.
Spectroscopy cameras come in various models, each designed for specific applications. For example, deep-cooled cameras with Deep Depletion (DD) CCDs are ideal for Raman spectroscopy, while high-speed line-scan cameras are commonly used in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).
| Teledyne Octoplus | Hamamatsu C16821 | Andor iVac 316 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrometer suffix no. | Numbers from 119 to 142 | 190 | C316 |
| Interface | Po USB3 or CameraLink | MIPI CSI-2 | USB2.0 |
| Pixels size | 10 x 200 µm | 7 x 200 µm | 15 x 15 µm |
| Pixel pitch | 10 µm | 7 µm | 15 µm |
| Number of pixels | 2048 x 1 | 1024 x 1 | 2000 x 256 |
| Max. Line-rate | 20, 80, 130 or 250 kHz 5 | 34 kHz | 142 Hz |
| Min. integration time | 3.4 µs | 2.675 µs | 7 ms |
| Electronic shutter | Yes | Yes | No |
| Typ. SNR 1 | 355:1 | 200:1 | 600:1 |
| Typ. Dynarmic Range 2 | 2800:1 | 1400:1 | 60000:1 |
| Typ. Power Consumption 3 | 3.6 W | 1.5 W | 24W 6 |
| Spectral range (Usable) | 400-1050 nm | 400-1000 nm | 200-1100 nm |
| Peak Sensitivity wavelength | 700 nm | 700 nm | 800 nm |
| TE-cooling | Uncooled | Uncooled | Yes (-60 oC) |
| Wavelength Calibration | Provided in seperate .txt file | Provided in seperate .txt file | Provided in seperate .txt file |
| Evaluation Software | Available | Available | Available |
| Operating Temperature | -40 to +65 oC | 0 to +50 oC | 0 to +40 oC |
| Storage Temperature | -40 to +70 oC | -20 to +70 oC | -25 to +50 oC |
1 – Based on values for typical detector performance
2 – Defined as Full Capacity divided by typical value for detector read noise
3 – Power consumption based on values listed by manufacture during typical operation, not including cooling (TEC) or other additional electronics.
4 – Assuming the use of a heatsink in accordance with Hamamatsu recommendations on thermal conductivity, and an ambiant temperature of 25 C
5 – 250 kHz Line-rates only available with CameraLink interface
6 – Typical power consumption when operated at -60 C.
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