Solid state detector for simultaneous multi-element electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman-effect background correction

Abstract

The development and characterization is described of a solid-state detector for simultaneous multielement electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) using combined line sources. Photodiode technology providing high quantum efficiency is married to a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) charge amplifier array for low noise output. Thus a large surface (3 cm × 6 cm) detector including 60 individual photodiodes can be produced using a high yield-high reliability process to meet the requirements of a simple optical design which has the disadvantage of a large focal plane but the advantages of high throughput and reasonable cost. An evaluation of the opto-electrical characteristics of the detector is described. The significance of the results to applications in ETAAS is discussed.