Some characteristics of an intensified photodiode array spectrometer system for use in plasma emission spectrometry

A 1024-element silicon photodiode array with a microchannel plate image intensifier was coupled to a Czerny-Turner spectrometer and basic characteristics of the spectrometer system were studied using an Hg lamp, a hollow cathode lamp and a d.c. argon plasma as emission sources. The intensifier proved to be useful to enhance signals without increasing the electronic background. The signal to dark current ratio of the cooled photodiode array was larger than that of a photomultiplier (HTV R457) in the wavelength region above 380 nm. Effects of entrance slit width, integration time per scan and intensifier gain on signal to background ratios and signal to noise ratio are presented and optimum conditions for emission measurements using the system are described.