We have looked at the problem of mothballing EDS detectors for clients going on long leave or over the Christmas period, and in some cases for indefinite periods.

The secret to storing the detectors is the pumping of the detector when you allow it to warm up. This results in pumping off all the contaminants, which are caught up in the molecular sieve in the dewar, before they can settle on the crystal and FET package. For this purpose we made up a T piece pumping port adapter.

There is a red or blue cap on the side or bottom of the detector, depending on the make. Open that and there will be the plug that needs to be removed under vacuum to pump down the detector, The pumping port adapter can be made up by your local engineering workshop.