Development of Super High Sensitive Pickup Tube : HARPICON and Its Application

Abstract

HARPICON is an image pickup tube featuring high sensitivity and high resolution without deteriorating the picture quality. Its features are based on an avalanche multiplication effect in its amorphous photoconductor. A 25 mm magnetic focus & deflection type HARPICON with 64 times sensitivity compared to SATICON has been developed by optimizing the thickness and structure of the photoconductor for industrial applications. The tube utilized in a TV camera with differential function has been confirmed to show superior features in surface inspection, such as defect or uneven inspection, and flow visualization.