CCDs are used at lower light levels typically associated with Raman, fluorescence, and atomic emission applications.
Back-thinned CCDs, such as the S10420-1006-01 and S10420-1106-01, used in Hamamatsu mini spectrometers have exceptionally high quantum efficiency, especially noticeable in the UV and NIR.
Photodiode Array Detectors (PDA)
Photodiode array detectors are best at higher illumination. They exhibit superior signal-to-noise ratio and linearity. They are typically the best choice for absorbance and light source monitoring. Hamamatsu’s S8378 series arrays exhibit good signal-to-noise ratio and high linearity.
InGaAs PDA
InGaAs arrays have very high radiant sensitivity. However performance is often limited by the amount of dark current. InGaAs arrays offer the highest NIR performance for mini spectrometers operating above 1 µm.
