The development of photodiode array detector is the most important development of high performance liquid chromatography technology in recent 10 years. Talmi first reported the use of diode array system in 1975, Yates, Kuwanan and Milano)(35 This technology was later developed. 1982 HP introduced the world's first commercial diode array detector HP 1040A (Figure 4-3- 14), which was designed according to the first photodiode array spectrophotometer technology developed by the company. As a result, liquid chromatography analysis has made many important progress. More information can be obtained by one injection, and data processing is faster. It can not only overcome the shortcomings of common ultraviolet-visible absorption detectors, but also obtain three-dimensional spectrograms of chromatographic separation components, which provides very rich qualitative and quantitative information for analysts. Since then, this detector has made some new improvements, obtaining better wavelength resolution and higher sensitivity. Optical multi-channel detection technology can not only use photodiode array as photoelectric detection element. Silicon photoconductive camera tube is the first photoelectric detection element used in liquid chromatography array detector, but it is rarely used because of its weak ultraviolet response, high cost and slower response than photodiode array. Charge coupled device array detector (CCD detector) has many excellent properties: wide spectral range, high quantum efficiency, low dark current, low noise and wide linear range. However, the weak ultraviolet response and low signal yield of CCD detector hinder its further development. Other photoelectric detection elements also have these shortcomings, so photodiode has become the most important and commonly used photoelectric detection element in optical multi-channel detection technology.

The existing manufacturers of photodiode array detectors mainly include Beckman Instruments, Dioncos, groton Technologies, Hitachi Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, Perkin-Elmer and Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. Almost all major foreign analytical instrument manufacturers have developed diode array detectors. The technology development of diode array detector has been relatively mature.