High performance Si(Li) detectors for EDS applications must be cooled in order to eliminate excess leakage current and to reduce noise as a result of thermal excitation. The most common cooling method is the use of liquid nitrogen (LN), which has been commonly used during the last four decades. The LN method is relatively simple, however, it has some disadvantages such as: requiring a large dewar for storing the LN, the necessity of refilling it with LN, as well as some hazardous handling issues.

Several years ago, Kevex introduced a new no-LN x-ray detector, the SuperDry, offering the customer a solution to the previously mentioned cooling problems. The SuperDry uses a thermoelectric device, a Peltier solid-state refrigerator, without any moving parts. The SuperDry covers all the disadvantages of the LN method, however, the temperature achieved has not reached the same low level as the LN products.