Improvement of light collection efficiency of lens-coupled YAG screen TV system for a high-voltage electron microscope

A new lens coupling television (TV) system using a YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet: Y(3)Al(5)O(12) : Ce(3+)) single crystal screen has been developed for a high-voltage electron microscope (HVEM), and its performance is examined. The system, using a combination of YAG and lenses, is less damaged by high-energy electron irradiation and reduces the influence of X-rays on the image. YAG screens have not been used for lens-coupling systems, because the high refractive index (n = 1.84) of YAG results in a low light collection efficiency for emitted light. This disadvantage is overcome by combining a thin YAG disk screen (thickness; 100 microm) with a glass hemisphere whose refractive index is 1.81. We found that the light intensity is almost the same as that obtained with a conventional P22 powder screen and lenses system. The resolution is about 55 microm on the YAG screen, and this value is 1.3 times higher than that measured by the conventional system. Shading and distortion do not affect TV observation. Detection quantum efficiency, obtained after correction of the channel mixing effect, is about 0.1.