A concise review on THGEM detectors

TL;DR

This paper reviews the THGEM detector, highlighting its design, high gain, versatility, and potential applications in various fields, including cryogenic conditions and large-area industrial production.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of THGEM technology, emphasizing its manufacturing, operational advantages, and broad applicability, which advances gaseous detector development.

Findings

Achieves high gain up to 10^7 in cascaded configurations

Operates effectively in noble gases and cryogenic conditions

Supports large-area industrial production of robust detectors

Abstract

We briefly review the concept and properties of the Thick GEM (THGEM); it is a robust, high-gain gaseous electron multiplier, manufactured economically by standard printed-circuit drilling and etching technology. Its operation and structure resemble that of GEMs but with 5 to 20-fold expanded dimensions. The millimeter-scale hole-size results in good electron transport and in large avalanche-multiplication factors, e.g. reaching 10^7 in double-THGEM cascaded single-photoelectron detectors. The multiplier's material, parameters and shape can be application-tailored; it can operate practically in any counting gas, including noble gases, over a pressure range spanning from 1 mbar to several bars; its operation at cryogenic (LAr) conditions was recently demonstrated. The high gain, sub-millimeter spatial resolution, high counting-rate capability, good timing properties and the possibility of industrial production capability of large-area robust detectors, pave ways towards a broad spectrum of potential applications; some are discussed here in brief.