The UNIPOLAR output of the semi-Gaussian amplifier is identical to the ORTEC Model 572, except that the shaping time constants range from 0.25 to 6 µs. The longer shaping time constants on this output provide the best energy resolution at low counting rates.
At high counting rates, short shaping time constants are necessary to achieve high throughput. Normally, the charge collection time variations in the
High Purity Germanium (HPGe) radiation detector would severely degrade the energy resolution at such short time constants. The Gated Integrator solves this problem by integrating the area under the unipolar pulse and by setting an integration period that ensures complete integration of the longer pulses that result from slower charge collection in the HPGe radiation detector. The result is significantly improved energy resolution at a throughput that is approximately four times the maximum counting rate achievable with conventional semi-Gaussian shaping. The Model 673 Gated Integrator output can maintain excellent resolution and peak position stability to a much higher counting rate than is feasible with semi-Gaussian shaping.
A pile-up rejector is included to minimize the spectral distortion caused by two or more photons arriving at the radiation detector within one amplifier pulse width. The pile-up rejector connects to the anti-coincidence gate of a
multichannel analyzer, and provides protection for either the UNIPOLAR or the Gated Integrator output. A front-panel switch allows either manual or automatic adjustment of the noise threshold for the pile-up rejector and the baseline restorer. The manual mode is useful for transistor reset preamplifiers.
The Model 673 accommodates both resistive feedback preamplifiers and transistor reset preamplifiers (TRP). With transistor reset preamplifiers a logic pulse derived from the preamplifier reset signal can be provided to the GATE INPUT of the Model 673 for the duration of the overload caused by the preamplifier reset. The GATE INPUT is "ORed" with the pile-up rejector signal at the GI INH output and is used by the multichannel analyzer to prevent the analysis of pulses distorted by the reset.
The UNIPOLAR output also functions as a high-performance semi-Gaussian shaping amplifier that can be used with a variety of radiation detector types, including germanium radiation detectors, silicon charged-particle radiation detectors, Si(Li) radiation detectors, proportional counters, and scintillation radiation detectors.