Mount and encapsulate fragile HPGe detector crystals into cryostat assemblies
High-purity germanium detector production requires handling delicate semiconductor crystals (square/coaxial geometries, e.g. ~20mm, ~4mm-thick elements) whose surfaces must be protected from moisture and condensible contaminants and whose mounting determines the device's energy resolution. The task involves gripping an expensive, fragile single-crystal element, precisely seating it on a minimized crystal holder, and placing/sealing it into a vacuum chamber or aluminum encapsulation canister with minimal spacing between elements (CLOVER and multi-element array builds pack crystals tightly). It sits at the heart of one of Mirion's most carefully controlled manufacturing lines, upstream of cryostat integration and final calibration. It is hard for a robot because the crystal is brittle and irreplaceable, contamination from a mishandled surface ruins yield, and the placement is sub-millimeter while the grasp must be force-limited to avoid micro-fracture. No automation of this step is publicly stated; it is inferred from product/process descriptions. We identified this through our own research; we have not confirmed the specifics with the customer directly. This page is our researched read — a starting point for that conversation.
What the task is
RESEARCHED · our reconstructionHigh-purity germanium detector production requires handling delicate semiconductor crystals (square/coaxial geometries, e.g. ~20mm, ~4mm-thick elements) whose surfaces must be protected from moisture and condensible contaminants and whose mounting determines the device's energy resolution. The task involves gripping an expensive, fragile single-crystal element, precisely seating it on a minimized crystal holder, and placing/sealing it into a vacuum chamber or aluminum encapsulation canister with minimal spacing between elements (CLOVER and multi-element array builds pack crystals tightly). It sits at the heart of one of Mirion's most carefully controlled manufacturing lines, upstream of cryostat integration and final calibration. It is hard for a robot because the crystal is brittle and irreplaceable, contamination from a mishandled surface ruins yield, and the placement is sub-millimeter while the grasp must be force-limited to avoid micro-fracture. No automation of this step is publicly stated; it is inferred from product/process descriptions.
Is this the actual task and sequence? What are the real tolerances, cycle rate, and reject criteria, and which steps are today's manual bottleneck? Answering these is what turns this from a researched signal into a validated use case.