WE-G-204-03: Photon-Counting Hexagonal Pixel Array CdTe Detector: Optimal Resampling to Square Pixels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shrestha, S; Vedantham, S; Karellas, A

Purpose: Detectors with hexagonal pixels require resampling to square pixels for distortion-free display of acquired images. In this work, the presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) of a hexagonal pixel array photon-counting CdTe detector for region-of-interest fluoroscopy was measured and the optimal square pixel size for resampling was determined. Methods: A 0.65mm thick CdTe Schottky sensor capable of concurrently acquiring up to 3 energy-windowed images was operated in a single energy-window mode to include ≥10 KeV photons. The detector had hexagonal pixels with apothem of 30 microns resulting in pixel spacing of 60 and 51.96 microns along the two orthogonal directions.more » Images of a tungsten edge test device acquired under IEC RQA5 conditions were double Hough transformed to identify the edge and numerically differentiated. The presampling MTF was determined from the finely sampled line spread function that accounted for the hexagonal sampling. The optimal square pixel size was determined in two ways; the square pixel size for which the aperture function evaluated at the Nyquist frequencies along the two orthogonal directions matched that from the hexagonal pixel aperture functions, and the square pixel size for which the mean absolute difference between the square and hexagonal aperture functions was minimized over all frequencies up to the Nyquist limit. Results: Evaluation of the aperture functions over the entire frequency range resulted in square pixel size of 53 microns with less than 2% difference from the hexagonal pixel. Evaluation of the aperture functions at Nyquist frequencies alone resulted in 54 microns square pixels. For the photon-counting CdTe detector and after resampling to 53 microns square pixels using quadratic interpolation, the presampling MTF at Nyquist frequency of 9.434 cycles/mm along the two directions were 0.501 and 0.507. Conclusion: Hexagonal pixel array photon-counting CdTe detector after resampling to square

DEPFET pixel detector for future e-e+ experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boronat, M.; DEPFET Collaboration

2016-04-01

The DEPFET Collaboration develops highly granular, ultra-thin pixel detectors for outstanding vertex reconstruction at future e+e- collider experiments. A DEPFET sensor provides, simultaneously, position sensitive detector capabilities and in-pixel amplification by the integration of a field effect transistor on a fully depleted silicon bulk. The characterization of the latest DEPFET prototypes has proven that a comfortable signal to noise ratio and excellent single point resolution can be achieved for a sensor thickness of 50 μm. A complete detector concept is being developed for the Belle II experiment at the new Japanese super flavor factory. The close to Belle related final auxiliary ASICs have been produced and found to operate a DEPFET pixel detector of the latest generation with the Belle II required read-out speed. DEPFET is not only the technology of choice for the Belle II vertex detector, but also a solid candidate for the International Linear Collider (ILC). Therefore, in this paper, the status of DEPFET R&D project is reviewed in the light of the requirements of the vertex detector at a future e+e- collider.

Study of sub-pixel position resolution with time-correlated transient signals in 3D pixelated CdZnTe detectors with varying pixel sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocampo Giraldo, L.; Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; De Geronimo, G.; Fried, J.; Gul, R.; Hodges, D.; Hossain, A.; Ünlü, K.; Vernon, E.; Yang, G.; James, R. B.

2018-03-01

We evaluated the sub-pixel position resolution achievable in large-volume CdZnTe pixelated detectors with conventional pixel patterns and for several different pixel sizes: 2.8 mm, 1.72 mm, 1.4 mm and 0.8 mm. Achieving position resolution below the physical dimensions of pixels (sub-pixel resolution) is a practical path for making high-granularity position-sensitive detectors, <100 μm, using a limited number of pixels dictated by the mechanical constraints and multi-channel readout electronics. High position sensitivity is important for improving the imaging capability of CZT gamma cameras. It also allows for making more accurate corrections of response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects, thus enabling use of standard-grade (unselected) and less expensive CZT crystals for producing large-volume position-sensitive CZT detectors feasible for many practical applications. We analyzed the digitized charge signals from a representative 9 pixels and the cathode, generated using a pulsed-laser light beam focused down to 10 μm (650 nm) to scan over a selected 3 × 3 pixel area. We applied our digital pulse processing technique to the time-correlated signals captured from adjacent pixels to achieve and evaluate the capability for sub-pixel position resolution. As an example, we also demonstrated an application of 3D corrections to improve the energy resolution and positional information of the events for the tested detectors.

The Belle II DEPFET pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, Hans-Günther; DEPFET Collaboration

2016-09-01

The Belle II experiment at KEK (Tsukuba, Japan) will explore heavy flavour physics (B, charm and tau) at the starting of 2018 with unprecedented precision. Charged particles are tracked by a two-layer DEPFET pixel device (PXD), a four-layer silicon strip detector (SVD) and the central drift chamber (CDC). The PXD will consist of two layers at radii of 14 mm and 22 mm with 8 and 12 ladders, respectively. The pixel sizes will vary, between 50 μm×(55-60) μm in the first layer and between 50 μm×(70-85) μm in the second layer, to optimize the charge sharing efficiency. These innermost layers have to cope with high background occupancy, high radiation and must have minimal material to reduce multiple scattering. These challenges are met using the DEPFET technology. Each pixel is a FET integrated on a fully depleted silicon bulk. The signal charge collected in the 'internal gate' modulates the FET current resulting in a first stage amplification and therefore very low noise. This allows very thin sensors (75 μm) reducing the overall material budget of the detector (0.21% X0). Four fold multiplexing of the column parallel readout allows read out a full frame of the pixel matrix in only 20 μs while keeping the power consumption low enough for air cooling. Only the active electronics outside the detector acceptance has to be cooled actively with a two phase CO2 system. Furthermore the DEPFET technology offers the unique feature of an electronic shutter which allows the detector to operate efficiently in the continuous injection mode of superKEKB.

Study of sub-pixel position resolution with time-correlated transient signals in 3D pixelated CdZnTe detectors with varying pixel sizes

DOE PAGES

Giraldo, L. Ocampo; Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; ...

2017-12-18

Here, we evaluated the sub-pixel position resolution achievable in large-volume CdZnTe pixelated detectors with conventional pixel patterns and for several different pixel sizes: 2.8 mm, 1.72 mm, 1.4 mm and 0.8 mm. Achieving position resolution below the physical dimensions of pixels (sub-pixel resolution) is a practical path for making high-granularity position-sensitive detectors, <100 μμm, using a limited number of pixels dictated by the mechanical constraints and multi-channel readout electronics. High position sensitivity is important for improving the imaging capability of CZT gamma cameras. It also allows for making more accurate corrections of response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects, thus enablingmore » use of standard-grade (unselected) and less expensive CZT crystals for producing large-volume position-sensitive CZT detectors feasible for many practical applications. We analyzed the digitized charge signals from a representative 9 pixels and the cathode, generated using a pulsed-laser light beam focused down to 10 m (650 nm) to scan over a selected 3×3 pixel area. We applied our digital pulse processing technique to the time-correlated signals captured from adjacent pixels to achieve and evaluate the capability for sub-pixel position resolution. As an example, we also demonstrated an application of 3D corrections to improve the energy resolution and positional information of the events for the tested detectors.« less

Study of sub-pixel position resolution with time-correlated transient signals in 3D pixelated CdZnTe detectors with varying pixel sizes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giraldo, L. Ocampo; Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.

Here, we evaluated the sub-pixel position resolution achievable in large-volume CdZnTe pixelated detectors with conventional pixel patterns and for several different pixel sizes: 2.8 mm, 1.72 mm, 1.4 mm and 0.8 mm. Achieving position resolution below the physical dimensions of pixels (sub-pixel resolution) is a practical path for making high-granularity position-sensitive detectors, <100 μμm, using a limited number of pixels dictated by the mechanical constraints and multi-channel readout electronics. High position sensitivity is important for improving the imaging capability of CZT gamma cameras. It also allows for making more accurate corrections of response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects, thus enablingmore » use of standard-grade (unselected) and less expensive CZT crystals for producing large-volume position-sensitive CZT detectors feasible for many practical applications. We analyzed the digitized charge signals from a representative 9 pixels and the cathode, generated using a pulsed-laser light beam focused down to 10 m (650 nm) to scan over a selected 3×3 pixel area. We applied our digital pulse processing technique to the time-correlated signals captured from adjacent pixels to achieve and evaluate the capability for sub-pixel position resolution. As an example, we also demonstrated an application of 3D corrections to improve the energy resolution and positional information of the events for the tested detectors.« less

Wafer-scale pixelated detector system

DOEpatents

Fahim, Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz; Zimmerman, Tom

2017-10-17

A large area, gapless, detection system comprises at least one sensor; an interposer operably connected to the at least one sensor; and at least one application specific integrated circuit operably connected to the sensor via the interposer wherein the detection system provides high dynamic range while maintaining small pixel area and low power dissipation. Thereby the invention provides methods and systems for a wafer-scale gapless and seamless detector systems with small pixels, which have both high dynamic range and low power dissipation.

Electron imaging with Medipix2 hybrid pixel detector.

PubMed

McMullan, G; Cattermole, D M; Chen, S; Henderson, R; Llopart, X; Summerfield, C; Tlustos, L; Faruqi, A R

2007-01-01

The electron imaging performance of Medipix2 is described. Medipix2 is a hybrid pixel detector composed of two layers. It has a sensor layer and a layer of readout electronics, in which each 55 microm x 55 microm pixel has upper and lower energy discrimination and MHz rate counting. The sensor layer consists of a 300 microm slab of pixellated monolithic silicon and this is bonded to the readout chip. Experimental measurement of the detective quantum efficiency, DQE(0) at 120 keV shows that it can reach approximately 85% independent of electron exposure, since the detector has zero noise, and the DQE(Nyquist) can reach approximately 35% of that expected for a perfect detector (4/pi(2)). Experimental measurement of the modulation transfer function (MTF) at Nyquist resolution for 120 keV electrons using a 60 keV lower energy threshold, yields a value that is 50% of that expected for a perfect detector (2/pi). Finally, Monte Carlo simulations of electron tracks and energy deposited in adjacent pixels have been performed and used to calculate expected values for the MTF and DQE as a function of the threshold energy. The good agreement between theory and experiment allows suggestions for further improvements to be made with confidence. The present detector is already very useful for experiments that require a high DQE at very low doses.

Towards hybrid pixel detectors for energy-dispersive or soft X-ray photon science

PubMed Central

Jungmann-Smith, J. H.; Bergamaschi, A.; Brückner, M.; Cartier, S.; Dinapoli, R.; Greiffenberg, D.; Huthwelker, T.; Maliakal, D.; Mayilyan, D.; Medjoubi, K.; Mezza, D.; Mozzanica, A.; Ramilli, M.; Ruder, Ch.; Schädler, L.; Schmitt, B.; Shi, X.; Tinti, G.

2016-01-01

JUNGFRAU (adJUstiNg Gain detector FoR the Aramis User station) is a two-dimensional hybrid pixel detector for photon science applications at free-electron lasers and synchrotron light sources. The JUNGFRAU 0.4 prototype presented here is specifically geared towards low-noise performance and hence soft X-ray detection. The design, geometry and readout architecture of JUNGFRAU 0.4 correspond to those of other JUNGFRAU pixel detectors, which are charge-integrating detectors with 75 µm × 75 µm pixels. Main characteristics of JUNGFRAU 0.4 are its fixed gain and r.m.s. noise of as low as 27 e− electronic noise charge (<100 eV) with no active cooling. The 48 × 48 pixels JUNGFRAU 0.4 prototype can be combined with a charge-sharing suppression mask directly placed on the sensor, which keeps photons from hitting the charge-sharing regions of the pixels. The mask consists of a 150 µm tungsten sheet, in which 28 µm-diameter holes are laser-drilled. The mask is aligned with the pixels. The noise and gain characterization, and single-photon detection as low as 1.2 keV are shown. The performance of JUNGFRAU 0.4 without the mask and also in the charge-sharing suppression configuration (with the mask, with a ‘software mask’ or a ‘cluster finding’ algorithm) is tested, compared and evaluated, in particular with respect to the removal of the charge-sharing contribution in the spectra, the detection efficiency and the photon rate capability. Energy-dispersive and imaging experiments with fluorescence X-ray irradiation from an X-ray tube and a synchrotron light source are successfully demonstrated with an r.m.s. energy resolution of 20% (no mask) and 14% (with the mask) at 1.2 keV and of 5% at 13.3 keV. The performance evaluation of the JUNGFRAU 0.4 prototype suggests that this detection system could be the starting point for a future detector development effort for either applications in the soft X-ray energy regime or for an energy

Velocity map imaging using an in-vacuum pixel detector.

PubMed

Gademann, Georg; Huismans, Ymkje; Gijsbertsen, Arjan; Jungmann, Julia; Visschers, Jan; Vrakking, Marc J J

2009-10-01

The use of a new type in-vacuum pixel detector in velocity map imaging (VMI) is introduced. The Medipix2 and Timepix semiconductor pixel detectors (256 x 256 square pixels, 55 x 55 microm2) are well suited for charged particle detection. They offer high resolution, low noise, and high quantum efficiency. The Medipix2 chip allows double energy discrimination by offering a low and a high energy threshold. The Timepix detector allows to record the incidence time of a particle with a temporal resolution of 10 ns and a dynamic range of 160 micros. Results of the first time application of the Medipix2 detector to VMI are presented, investigating the quantum efficiency as well as the possibility to operate at increased background pressure in the vacuum chamber.

Techniques for precise energy calibration of particle pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroupa, M.; Campbell-Ricketts, T.; Bahadori, A.; Empl, A.

2017-03-01

We demonstrate techniques to improve the accuracy of the energy calibration of Timepix pixel detectors, used for the measurement of energetic particles. The typical signal from such particles spreads among many pixels due to charge sharing effects. As a consequence, the deposited energy in each pixel cannot be reconstructed unless the detector is calibrated, limiting the usability of such signals for calibration. To avoid this shortcoming, we calibrate using low energy X-rays. However, charge sharing effects still occur, resulting in part of the energy being deposited in adjacent pixels and possibly lost. This systematic error in the calibration process results in an error of about 5% in the energy measurements of calibrated devices. We use FLUKA simulations to assess the magnitude of charge sharing effects, allowing a corrected energy calibration to be performed on several Timepix pixel detectors and resulting in substantial improvement in energy deposition measurements. Next, we address shortcomings in calibration associated with the huge range (from kiloelectron-volts to megaelectron-volts) of energy deposited per pixel which result in a nonlinear energy response over the full range. We introduce a new method to characterize the non-linear response of the Timepix detectors at high input energies. We demonstrate improvement using a broad range of particle types and energies, showing that the new method reduces the energy measurement errors, in some cases by more than 90%.

Techniques for precise energy calibration of particle pixel detectors.

PubMed

Kroupa, M; Campbell-Ricketts, T; Bahadori, A; Empl, A

2017-03-01

We demonstrate techniques to improve the accuracy of the energy calibration of Timepix pixel detectors, used for the measurement of energetic particles. The typical signal from such particles spreads among many pixels due to charge sharing effects. As a consequence, the deposited energy in each pixel cannot be reconstructed unless the detector is calibrated, limiting the usability of such signals for calibration. To avoid this shortcoming, we calibrate using low energy X-rays. However, charge sharing effects still occur, resulting in part of the energy being deposited in adjacent pixels and possibly lost. This systematic error in the calibration process results in an error of about 5% in the energy measurements of calibrated devices. We use FLUKA simulations to assess the magnitude of charge sharing effects, allowing a corrected energy calibration to be performed on several Timepix pixel detectors and resulting in substantial improvement in energy deposition measurements. Next, we address shortcomings in calibration associated with the huge range (from kiloelectron-volts to megaelectron-volts) of energy deposited per pixel which result in a nonlinear energy response over the full range. We introduce a new method to characterize the non-linear response of the Timepix detectors at high input energies. We demonstrate improvement using a broad range of particle types and energies, showing that the new method reduces the energy measurement errors, in some cases by more than 90%.

14C autoradiography with an energy-sensitive silicon pixel detector.

PubMed

Esposito, M; Mettivier, G; Russo, P

2011-04-07

The first performance tests are presented of a carbon-14 ((14)C) beta-particle digital autoradiography system with an energy-sensitive hybrid silicon pixel detector based on the Timepix readout circuit. Timepix was developed by the Medipix2 Collaboration and it is similar to the photon-counting Medipix2 circuit, except for an added time-based synchronization logic which allows derivation of energy information from the time-over-threshold signal. This feature permits direct energy measurements in each pixel of the detector array. Timepix is bump-bonded to a 300 µm thick silicon detector with 256 × 256 pixels of 55 µm pitch. Since an energetic beta-particle could release its kinetic energy in more than one detector pixel as it slows down in the semiconductor detector, an off-line image analysis procedure was adopted in which the single-particle cluster of hit pixels is recognized; its total energy is calculated and the position of interaction on the detector surface is attributed to the centre of the charge cluster. Measurements reported are detector sensitivity, (4.11 ± 0.03) × 10(-3) cps mm(-2) kBq(-1) g, background level, (3.59 ± 0.01) × 10(-5) cps mm(-2), and minimum detectable activity, 0.0077 Bq. The spatial resolution is 76.9 µm full-width at half-maximum. These figures are compared with several digital imaging detectors for (14)C beta-particle digital autoradiography.

Commissioning of the ATLAS pixel detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ATLAS Collaboration; Golling, Tobias

2008-09-01

The ATLAS pixel detector is a high precision silicon tracking device located closest to the LHC interaction point. It belongs to the first generation of its kind in a hadron collider experiment. It will provide crucial pattern recognition information and will largely determine the ability of ATLAS to precisely track particle trajectories and find secondary vertices. It was the last detector to be installed in ATLAS in June 2007, has been fully connected and tested in-situ during spring and summer 2008, and is ready for the imminent LHC turn-on. The highlights of the past and future commissioning activities of themore » ATLAS pixel system are presented.« less

Status and Plan for The Upgrade of The CMS Pixel Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Rong-Shyang; CMS Collaboration

2016-04-01

The silicon pixel detector is the innermost component of the CMS tracking system and plays a crucial role in the all-silicon CMS tracker. While the current pixel tracker is designed for and performing well at an instantaneous luminosity of up to 1 ×1034cm-2s-1, it can no longer be operated efficiently at significantly higher values. Based on the strong performance of the LHC accelerator, it is anticipated that peak luminosities of two times the design luminosity are likely to be reached before 2018 and perhaps significantly exceeded in the running period until 2022, referred to as LHC Run 3. Therefore, an upgraded pixel detector, referred to as the phase 1 upgrade, is planned for the year-end technical stop in 2016. With a new pixel readout chip (ROC), an additional fourth layer, two additional endcap disks, and a significantly reduced material budget the upgraded pixel detector will be able to sustain the efficiency of the pixel tracker at the increased requirements imposed by high luminosities and pile-up. The main new features of the upgraded pixel detector will be an ultra-light mechanical design, a digital readout chip with higher rate capability and a new cooling system. These and other design improvements, along with results of Monte Carlo simulation studies for the expected performance of the new pixel detector, will be discussed and compared to those of the current CMS detector.

Modeling of Pixelated Detector in SPECT Pinhole Reconstruction.

PubMed

Feng, Bing; Zeng, Gengsheng L

2014-04-10

A challenge for the pixelated detector is that the detector response of a gamma-ray photon varies with the incident angle and the incident location within a crystal. The normalization map obtained by measuring the flood of a point-source at a large distance can lead to artifacts in reconstructed images. In this work, we investigated a method of generating normalization maps by ray-tracing through the pixelated detector based on the imaging geometry and the photo-peak energy for the specific isotope. The normalization is defined for each pinhole as the normalized detector response for a point-source placed at the focal point of the pinhole. Ray-tracing is used to generate the ideal flood image for a point-source. Each crystal pitch area on the back of the detector is divided into 60 × 60 sub-pixels. Lines are obtained by connecting between a point-source and the centers of sub-pixels inside each crystal pitch area. For each line ray-tracing starts from the entrance point at the detector face and ends at the center of a sub-pixel on the back of the detector. Only the attenuation by NaI(Tl) crystals along each ray is assumed to contribute directly to the flood image. The attenuation by the silica (SiO 2 ) reflector is also included in the ray-tracing. To calculate the normalization for a pinhole, we need to calculate the ideal flood for a point-source at 360 mm distance (where the point-source was placed for the regular flood measurement) and the ideal flood image for the point-source at the pinhole focal point, together with the flood measurement at 360 mm distance. The normalizations are incorporated in the iterative OSEM reconstruction as a component of the projection matrix. Applications to single-pinhole and multi-pinhole imaging showed that this method greatly reduced the reconstruction artifacts.

Evaluation of a hybrid pixel detector for electron microscopy.

PubMed

Faruqi, A R; Cattermole, D M; Henderson, R; Mikulec, B; Raeburn, C

2003-04-01

We describe the application of a silicon hybrid pixel detector, containing 64 by 64 pixels, each 170 microm(2), in electron microscopy. The device offers improved resolution compared to CCDs along with faster and noiseless readout. Evaluation of the detector, carried out on a 120 kV electron microscope, demonstrates the potential of the device.

Velocity map imaging using an in-vacuum pixel detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gademann, Georg; Huismans, Ymkje; Gijsbertsen, Arjan

The use of a new type in-vacuum pixel detector in velocity map imaging (VMI) is introduced. The Medipix2 and Timepix semiconductor pixel detectors (256x256 square pixels, 55x55 {mu}m{sup 2}) are well suited for charged particle detection. They offer high resolution, low noise, and high quantum efficiency. The Medipix2 chip allows double energy discrimination by offering a low and a high energy threshold. The Timepix detector allows to record the incidence time of a particle with a temporal resolution of 10 ns and a dynamic range of 160 {mu}s. Results of the first time application of the Medipix2 detector to VMImore » are presented, investigating the quantum efficiency as well as the possibility to operate at increased background pressure in the vacuum chamber.« less

High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector for Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

Tate, Mark W; Purohit, Prafull; Chamberlain, Darol; Nguyen, Kayla X; Hovden, Robert; Chang, Celesta S; Deb, Pratiti; Turgut, Emrah; Heron, John T; Schlom, Darrell G; Ralph, Daniel C; Fuchs, Gregory D; Shanks, Katherine S; Philipp, Hugh T; Muller, David A; Gruner, Sol M

2016-02-01

We describe a hybrid pixel array detector (electron microscope pixel array detector, or EMPAD) adapted for use in electron microscope applications, especially as a universal detector for scanning transmission electron microscopy. The 128×128 pixel detector consists of a 500 µm thick silicon diode array bump-bonded pixel-by-pixel to an application-specific integrated circuit. The in-pixel circuitry provides a 1,000,000:1 dynamic range within a single frame, allowing the direct electron beam to be imaged while still maintaining single electron sensitivity. A 1.1 kHz framing rate enables rapid data collection and minimizes sample drift distortions while scanning. By capturing the entire unsaturated diffraction pattern in scanning mode, one can simultaneously capture bright field, dark field, and phase contrast information, as well as being able to analyze the full scattering distribution, allowing true center of mass imaging. The scattering is recorded on an absolute scale, so that information such as local sample thickness can be directly determined. This paper describes the detector architecture, data acquisition system, and preliminary results from experiments with 80-200 keV electron beams.

Design methodology: edgeless 3D ASICs with complex in-pixel processing for pixel detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fahim Farah, Fahim Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Hoff, James R.

The design methodology for the development of 3D integrated edgeless pixel detectors with in-pixel processing using Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools is presented. A large area 3 tier 3D detector with one sensor layer and two ASIC layers containing one analog and one digital tier, is built for x-ray photon time of arrival measurement and imaging. A full custom analog pixel is 65μm x 65μm. It is connected to a sensor pixel of the same size on one side, and on the other side it has approximately 40 connections to the digital pixel. A 32 x 32 edgeless array withoutmore » any peripheral functional blocks constitutes a sub-chip. The sub-chip is an indivisible unit, which is further arranged in a 6 x 6 array to create the entire 1.248cm x 1.248cm ASIC. Each chip has 720 bump-bond I/O connections, on the back of the digital tier to the ceramic PCB. All the analog tier power and biasing is conveyed through the digital tier from the PCB. The assembly has no peripheral functional blocks, and hence the active area extends to the edge of the detector. This was achieved by using a few flavors of almost identical analog pixels (minimal variation in layout) to allow for peripheral biasing blocks to be placed within pixels. The 1024 pixels within a digital sub-chip array have a variety of full custom, semi-custom and automated timing driven functional blocks placed together. The methodology uses a modified mixed-mode on-top digital implementation flow to not only harness the tool efficiency for timing and floor-planning but also to maintain designer control over compact parasitically aware layout. The methodology uses the Cadence design platform, however it is not limited to this tool.« less

Design methodology: edgeless 3D ASICs with complex in-pixel processing for pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahim, Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Hoff, James R.; Mohseni, Hooman

2015-08-01

The design methodology for the development of 3D integrated edgeless pixel detectors with in-pixel processing using Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools is presented. A large area 3 tier 3D detector with one sensor layer and two ASIC layers containing one analog and one digital tier, is built for x-ray photon time of arrival measurement and imaging. A full custom analog pixel is 65μm x 65μm. It is connected to a sensor pixel of the same size on one side, and on the other side it has approximately 40 connections to the digital pixel. A 32 x 32 edgeless array without any peripheral functional blocks constitutes a sub-chip. The sub-chip is an indivisible unit, which is further arranged in a 6 x 6 array to create the entire 1.248cm x 1.248cm ASIC. Each chip has 720 bump-bond I/O connections, on the back of the digital tier to the ceramic PCB. All the analog tier power and biasing is conveyed through the digital tier from the PCB. The assembly has no peripheral functional blocks, and hence the active area extends to the edge of the detector. This was achieved by using a few flavors of almost identical analog pixels (minimal variation in layout) to allow for peripheral biasing blocks to be placed within pixels. The 1024 pixels within a digital sub-chip array have a variety of full custom, semi-custom and automated timing driven functional blocks placed together. The methodology uses a modified mixed-mode on-top digital implementation flow to not only harness the tool efficiency for timing and floor-planning but also to maintain designer control over compact parasitically aware layout. The methodology uses the Cadence design platform, however it is not limited to this tool.

X-ray characterization of a multichannel smart-pixel array detector.

PubMed

Ross, Steve; Haji-Sheikh, Michael; Huntington, Andrew; Kline, David; Lee, Adam; Li, Yuelin; Rhee, Jehyuk; Tarpley, Mary; Walko, Donald A; Westberg, Gregg; Williams, George; Zou, Haifeng; Landahl, Eric

2016-01-01

The Voxtel VX-798 is a prototype X-ray pixel array detector (PAD) featuring a silicon sensor photodiode array of 48 × 48 pixels, each 130 µm × 130 µm × 520 µm thick, coupled to a CMOS readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The first synchrotron X-ray characterization of this detector is presented, and its ability to selectively count individual X-rays within two independent arrival time windows, a programmable energy range, and localized to a single pixel is demonstrated. During our first trial run at Argonne National Laboratory's Advance Photon Source, the detector achieved a 60 ns gating time and 700 eV full width at half-maximum energy resolution in agreement with design parameters. Each pixel of the PAD holds two independent digital counters, and the discriminator for X-ray energy features both an upper and lower threshold to window the energy of interest discarding unwanted background. This smart-pixel technology allows energy and time resolution to be set and optimized in software. It is found that the detector linearity follows an isolated dead-time model, implying that megahertz count rates should be possible in each pixel. Measurement of the line and point spread functions showed negligible spatial blurring. When combined with the timing structure of the synchrotron storage ring, it is demonstrated that the area detector can perform both picosecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements.

Studies on a 300 k pixel detector telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Middelkamp, Peter; Antinori, F.; Barberis, D.; Becks, K. H.; Beker, H.; Beusch, W.; Burger, P.; Campbell, M.; Cantatore, E.; Catanesi, M. G.; Chesi, E.; Darbo, G.; D'Auria, S.; Davia, C.; di Bari, D.; di Liberto, S.; Elia, D.; Gys, T.; Heijne, E. H. M.; Helstrup, H.; Jacholkowski, A.; Jæger, J. J.; Jakubek, J.; Jarron, P.; Klempt, W.; Krummenacher, F.; Knudson, K.; Kralik, I.; Kubasta, J.; Lasalle, J. C.; Leitner, R.; Lemeilleur, F.; Lenti, V.; Letheren, M.; Lopez, L.; Loukas, D.; Luptak, M.; Martinengo, P.; Meddeler, G.; Meddi, F.; Morando, M.; Munns, A.; Pellegrini, F.; Pengg, F.; Pospisil, S.; Quercigh, E.; Ridky, J.; Rossi, L.; Safarik, K.; Scharfetter, L.; Segato, G.; Simone, S.; Smith, K.; Snoeys, W.; Vrba, V.

1996-02-01

Four silicon pixel detector planes are combined to form a tracking telescope in the lead ion experiment WA97 at CERN with 290 304 sensitive elements each of 75 μm by 500 μm area. An electronic pulse processing circuit is associated with each individual sensing element and the response for ionizing particles is binary with an adjustable threshold. The noise rate for a threshold of 6000 e- has been measured to be less than 10-10. The inefficient area due to malfunctioning pixels is 2.8% of the 120 cm2. Detector overlaps within one plane have been used to determine the alignment of the components of the plane itself, without need for track reconstruction using external detectors. It is the first time that such a big surface covered with active pixels has been used in a physics experiment. Some aspects concerning inclined particle tracks and time walk have been measured separately in a beam test at the CERN SPS H6 beam.

Tracking performance of a single-crystal and a polycrystalline diamond pixel-detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menasce, D.; et al.

2013-06-01

We present a comparative characterization of the performance of a single-crystal and a polycrystalline diamond pixel-detector employing the standard CMS pixel readout chips. Measurements were carried out at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, FTBF, using protons of momentum 120 GeV/c tracked by a high-resolution pixel telescope. Particular attention was directed to the study of the charge-collection, the charge-sharing among adjacent pixels and the achievable position resolution. The performance of the single-crystal detector was excellent and comparable to the best available silicon pixel-detectors. The measured average detection-efficiency was near unity, ε = 0.99860±0.00006, and the position-resolution for shared hits was aboutmore » 6 μm. On the other hand, the performance of the polycrystalline detector was hampered by its lower charge collection distance and the readout chip threshold. A new readout chip, capable of operating at much lower threshold (around 1 ke $-$), would be required to fully exploit the potential performance of the polycrystalline diamond pixel-detector.« less

Angular resolution of the gaseous micro-pixel detector Gossip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilevych, Y.; Blanco Carballo, V.; van Dijk, M.; Fransen, M.; van der Graaf, H.; Hartjes, F.; Hessey, N.; Koppert, W.; Nauta, S.; Rogers, M.; Romaniouk, A.; Veenhof, R.

2011-06-01

Gossip is a gaseous micro-pixel detector with a very thin drift gap intended for a high rate environment like at the pixel layers of ATLAS at the sLHC. The detector outputs not only the crossing point of a traversing MIP, but also the angle of the track, thus greatly simplifying track reconstruction. In this paper we describe a testbeam experiment to examine the angular resolution of the reconstructed track segments in Gossip. We used here the low diffusion gas mixture DME/CO 2 50/50. An angular resolution of 20 mrad for perpendicular tracks could be obtained from a 1.5 mm thin drift volume. However, for the prototype detector used at the testbeam experiment, the resolution of slanting tracks was worsened by poor time resolution of the pixel chip used.

Precision tracking with a single gaseous pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsigaridas, S.; van Bakel, N.; Bilevych, Y.; Gromov, V.; Hartjes, F.; Hessey, N. P.; de Jong, P.; Kluit, R.

2015-09-01

The importance of micro-pattern gaseous detectors has grown over the past few years after successful usage in a large number of applications in physics experiments and medicine. We develop gaseous pixel detectors using micromegas-based amplification structures on top of CMOS pixel readout chips. Using wafer post-processing we add a spark-protection layer and a grid to create an amplification region above the chip, allowing individual electrons released above the grid by the passage of ionising radiation to be recorded. The electron creation point is measured in 3D, using the pixel position for (x, y) and the drift time for z. The track can be reconstructed by fitting a straight line to these points. In this work we have used a pixel-readout-chip which is a small-scale prototype of Timepix3 chip (designed for both silicon and gaseous detection media). This prototype chip has several advantages over the existing Timepix chip, including a faster front-end (pre-amplifier and discriminator) and a faster TDC which reduce timewalk's contribution to the z position error. Although the chip is very small (sensitive area of 0.88 × 0.88mm2), we have built it into a detector with a short drift gap (1.3 mm), and measured its tracking performance in an electron beam at DESY. We present the results obtained, which lead to a significant improvement for the resolutions with respect to Timepix-based detectors.

4.3 μm quantum cascade detector in pixel configuration.

PubMed

Harrer, A; Schwarz, B; Schuler, S; Reininger, P; Wirthmüller, A; Detz, H; MacFarland, D; Zederbauer, T; Andrews, A M; Rothermund, M; Oppermann, H; Schrenk, W; Strasser, G

2016-07-25

We present the design simulation and characterization of a quantum cascade detector operating at 4.3μm wavelength. Array integration and packaging processes were investigated. The device operates in the 4.3μm CO₂ absorption region and consists of 64 pixels. The detector is designed fully compatible to standard processing and material growth methods for scalability to large pixel counts. The detector design is optimized for a high device resistance at elevated temperatures. A QCD simulation model was enhanced for resistance and responsivity optimization. The substrate illuminated pixels utilize a two dimensional Au diffraction grating to couple the light to the active region. A single pixel responsivity of 16mA/W at room temperature with a specific detectivity D^* of 5⋅10⁷ cmHz/W was measured.

3D track reconstruction capability of a silicon hybrid active pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergmann, Benedikt; Pichotka, Martin; Pospisil, Stanislav; Vycpalek, Jiri; Burian, Petr; Broulim, Pavel; Jakubek, Jan

2017-06-01

Timepix3 detectors are the latest generation of hybrid active pixel detectors of the Medipix/Timepix family. Such detectors consist of an active sensor layer which is connected to the readout ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), segmenting the detector into a square matrix of 256 × 256 pixels (pixel pitch 55 μm). Particles interacting in the active sensor material create charge carriers, which drift towards the pixelated electrode, where they are collected. In each pixel, the time of the interaction (time resolution 1.56 ns) and the amount of created charge carriers are measured. Such a device was employed in an experiment in a 120 GeV/c pion beam. It is demonstrated, how the drift time information can be used for "4D" particle tracking, with the three spatial dimensions and the energy losses along the particle trajectory (dE/dx). Since the coordinates in the detector plane are given by the pixelation ( x, y), the x- and y-resolution is determined by the pixel pitch (55 μm). A z-resolution of 50.4 μm could be achieved (for a 500 μm thick silicon sensor at 130 V bias), whereby the drift time model independent z-resolution was found to be 28.5 μm.

Modeling radiation damage to pixel sensors in the ATLAS detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducourthial, A.

2018-03-01

Silicon pixel detectors are at the core of the current and planned upgrade of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) . As the closest detector component to the interaction point, these detectors will be subject to a significant amount of radiation over their lifetime: prior to the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) [1], the innermost layers will receive a fluence in excess of 1015 neq/cm2 and the HL-LHC detector upgrades must cope with an order of magnitude higher fluence integrated over their lifetimes. Simulating radiation damage is essential in order to make accurate predictions for current and future detector performance that will enable searches for new particles and forces as well as precision measurements of Standard Model particles such as the Higgs boson. We present a digitization model that includes radiation damage effects on the ATLAS pixel sensors for the first time. In addition to thoroughly describing the setup, we present first predictions for basic pixel cluster properties alongside early studies with LHC Run 2 proton-proton collision data.

Pixel Stability in the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/UVIS Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourque, Matthew; Baggett, Sylvia M.; Borncamp, David; Desjardins, Tyler D.; Grogin, Norman A.; Wide Field Camera 3 Team

2018-06-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Ultraviolet-Visible (UVIS) detector has acquired roughly 12,000 dark images since the installation of WFC3 in 2009, as part of a daily monitoring program to measure the instrinsic dark current of the detector. These images have been reconfigured into 'pixel history' images in which detector columns are extracted from each dark and placed into a new time-ordered array, allowing for efficient analysis of a given pixel's behavior over time. We discuss how we measure each pixel's stability, as well as plans for a new Data Quality (DQ) flag to be introduced in a future release of the WFC3 calibration pipeline (CALWF3) for flagging pixels that are deemed unstable.

A 64-pixel NbTiN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array for spatially resolved photon detection.

PubMed

Miki, Shigehito; Yamashita, Taro; Wang, Zhen; Terai, Hirotaka

2014-04-07

We present the characterization of two-dimensionally arranged 64-pixel NbTiN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SSPD) array for spatially resolved photon detection. NbTiN films deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrates enabled the high-yield production of high-quality SSPD pixels, and all 64 SSPD pixels showed uniform superconducting characteristics within the small range of 7.19-7.23 K of superconducting transition temperature and 15.8-17.8 μA of superconducting switching current. Furthermore, all of the pixels showed single-photon sensitivity, and 60 of the 64 pixels showed a pulse generation probability higher than 90% after photon absorption. As a result of light irradiation from the single-mode optical fiber at different distances between the fiber tip and the active area, the variations of system detection efficiency (SDE) in each pixel showed reasonable Gaussian distribution to represent the spatial distributions of photon flux intensity.

ASTRO-H CdTe detectors proton irradiation at PIF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limousin, O.; Renaud, D.; Horeau, B.; Dubos, S.; Laurent, P.; Lebrun, F.; Chipaux, R.; Boatella Polo, C.; Marcinkowski, R.; Kawaharada, M.; Watanabe, S.; Ohta, M.; Sato, G.; Takahashi, T.

2015-07-01

ASTRO-H will be operated in a Low Earth Orbit with a 31° inclination at 550 km altitude, thus passing daily through the South Atlantic Anomaly radiation belt, a specially harsh environment where the detectors are suffering the effect of the interaction with trapped high energy protons. As CdTe detector performance might be affected by the irradiation, we investigate the effect of the accumulated proton fluence on their spectral response. To do so, we have characterized and irradiated representative samples of SGD and HXI detector under different conditions. The detectors in question, from ACRORAD, are single-pixels having a size of 2 mm by 2 mm and 750 μm thick. The Schottky contact is either made of an Indium or Aluminum for SGD and HXI respectively. We ran the irradiation test campaign at the Proton Irradiation Facility (PIF) at PSI, and ESA approved equipment to evaluate the radiation hardness of flight hardware. We simulated the proton flux expected on the sensors over the entire mission, and secondary neutrons flux due to primary proton interactions into the surrounding BGO active shielding. We eventually characterized the detector response evolution, emphasizing each detector spectral response as well as its stability by studying the so-called Polarization effect. The latter is provoking a spectral response degradation against time as a charge accumulation process occurs in Schottky type CdTe sensors. In this paper, we report on the test campaigns at PIF and will show up our experimental setup. We will pursue describing the irradiation conditions associated with our GEANT 4 predictions and finally, we report the main results of our campaigns concluding that the proton effect does not severely affect the CdTe response neither the detector stability while the secondary neutrons might be more active to reduce the performance on the long run.

The Dosepix detector—an energy-resolving photon-counting pixel detector for spectrometric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, A.; Anton, G.; Ballabriga, R.; Bisello, F.; Campbell, M.; Celi, J. C.; Fauler, A.; Fiederle, M.; Jensch, M.; Kochanski, N.; Llopart, X.; Michel, N.; Mollenhauer, U.; Ritter, I.; Tennert, F.; Wölfel, S.; Wong, W.; Michel, T.

2015-04-01

The Dosepix detector is a hybrid photon-counting pixel detector based on ideas of the Medipix and Timepix detector family. 1 mm thick cadmium telluride and 300 μm thick silicon were used as sensor material. The pixel matrix of the Dosepix consists of 16 x 16 square pixels with 12 rows of (200 μm)2 and 4 rows of (55 μm)2 sensitive area for the silicon sensor layer and 16 rows of pixels with 220 μm pixel pitch for CdTe. Besides digital energy integration and photon-counting mode, a novel concept of energy binning is included in the pixel electronics, allowing energy-resolved measurements in 16 energy bins within one acquisition. The possibilities of this detector concept range from applications in personal dosimetry and energy-resolved imaging to quality assurance of medical X-ray sources by analysis of the emitted photon spectrum. In this contribution the Dosepix detector, its response to X-rays as well as spectrum measurements with Si and CdTe sensor layer are presented. Furthermore, a first evaluation was carried out to use the Dosepix detector as a kVp-meter, that means to determine the applied acceleration voltage from measured X-ray tubes spectra.

Cat-eye effect target recognition with single-pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Weijian; Li, Li; Zhang, Xiaoyue

2015-12-01

A prototype of cat-eye effect target recognition with single-pixel detectors is proposed. Based on the framework of compressive sensing, it is possible to recognize cat-eye effect targets by projecting a series of known random patterns and measuring the backscattered light with three single-pixel detectors in different locations. The prototype only requires simpler, less expensive detectors and extends well beyond the visible spectrum. The simulations are accomplished to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed prototype. We compared our results to that obtained from conventional cat-eye effect target recognition methods using area array sensor. The experimental results show that this method is feasible and superior to the conventional method in dynamic and complicated backgrounds.

High-speed X-ray imaging pixel array detector for synchrotron bunch isolation

DOE PAGES

Philipp, Hugh T.; Tate, Mark W.; Purohit, Prafull; ...

2016-01-28

A wide-dynamic-range imaging X-ray detector designed for recording successive frames at rates up to 10 MHz is described. X-ray imaging with frame rates of up to 6.5 MHz have been experimentally verified. The pixel design allows for up to 8–12 frames to be stored internally at high speed before readout, which occurs at a 1 kHz frame rate. An additional mode of operation allows the integration capacitors to be re-addressed repeatedly before readout which can enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of cyclical processes. This detector, along with modern storage ring sources which provide short (10–100 ps) and intense X-ray pulses atmore » megahertz rates, opens new avenues for the study of rapid structural changes in materials. The detector consists of hybridized modules, each of which is comprised of a 500 µm-thick silicon X-ray sensor solder bump-bonded, pixel by pixel, to an application-specific integrated circuit. The format of each module is 128 × 128 pixels with a pixel pitch of 150 µm. In the prototype detector described here, the three-side buttable modules are tiled in a 3 × 2 array with a full format of 256 × 384 pixels. Lastly, we detail the characteristics, operation, testing and application of the detector.« less

High-speed X-ray imaging pixel array detector for synchrotron bunch isolation

PubMed Central

Philipp, Hugh T.; Tate, Mark W.; Purohit, Prafull; Shanks, Katherine S.; Weiss, Joel T.; Gruner, Sol M.

2016-01-01

A wide-dynamic-range imaging X-ray detector designed for recording successive frames at rates up to 10 MHz is described. X-ray imaging with frame rates of up to 6.5 MHz have been experimentally verified. The pixel design allows for up to 8–12 frames to be stored internally at high speed before readout, which occurs at a 1 kHz frame rate. An additional mode of operation allows the integration capacitors to be re-addressed repeatedly before readout which can enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of cyclical processes. This detector, along with modern storage ring sources which provide short (10–100 ps) and intense X-ray pulses at megahertz rates, opens new avenues for the study of rapid structural changes in materials. The detector consists of hybridized modules, each of which is comprised of a 500 µm-thick silicon X-ray sensor solder bump-bonded, pixel by pixel, to an application-specific integrated circuit. The format of each module is 128 × 128 pixels with a pixel pitch of 150 µm. In the prototype detector described here, the three-side buttable modules are tiled in a 3 × 2 array with a full format of 256 × 384 pixels. The characteristics, operation, testing and application of the detector are detailed. PMID:26917125

High-speed X-ray imaging pixel array detector for synchrotron bunch isolation.

PubMed

Philipp, Hugh T; Tate, Mark W; Purohit, Prafull; Shanks, Katherine S; Weiss, Joel T; Gruner, Sol M

2016-03-01

A wide-dynamic-range imaging X-ray detector designed for recording successive frames at rates up to 10 MHz is described. X-ray imaging with frame rates of up to 6.5 MHz have been experimentally verified. The pixel design allows for up to 8-12 frames to be stored internally at high speed before readout, which occurs at a 1 kHz frame rate. An additional mode of operation allows the integration capacitors to be re-addressed repeatedly before readout which can enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of cyclical processes. This detector, along with modern storage ring sources which provide short (10-100 ps) and intense X-ray pulses at megahertz rates, opens new avenues for the study of rapid structural changes in materials. The detector consists of hybridized modules, each of which is comprised of a 500 µm-thick silicon X-ray sensor solder bump-bonded, pixel by pixel, to an application-specific integrated circuit. The format of each module is 128 × 128 pixels with a pixel pitch of 150 µm. In the prototype detector described here, the three-side buttable modules are tiled in a 3 × 2 array with a full format of 256 × 384 pixels. The characteristics, operation, testing and application of the detector are detailed.

Measurements with MÖNCH, a 25 μm pixel pitch hybrid pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramilli, M.; Bergamaschi, A.; Andrae, M.; Brückner, M.; Cartier, S.; Dinapoli, R.; Fröjdh, E.; Greiffenberg, D.; Hutwelker, T.; Lopez-Cuenca, C.; Mezza, D.; Mozzanica, A.; Ruat, M.; Redford, S.; Schmitt, B.; Shi, X.; Tinti, G.; Zhang, J.

2017-01-01

MÖNCH is a hybrid silicon pixel detector based on charge integration and with analog readout, featuring a pixel size of 25×25 μm2. The latest working prototype consists of an array of 400×400 identical pixels for a total active area of 1×1 cm2. Its design is optimized for the single photon regime. An exhaustive characterization of this large area prototype has been carried out in the past months, and it confirms an ENC in the order of 35 electrons RMS and a dynamic range of ~4×12 keV photons in high gain mode, which increases to ~100×12 keV photons with the lowest gain setting. The low noise levels of MÖNCH make it a suitable candidate for X-ray detection at energies around 1 keV and below. Imaging applications in particular can benefit significantly from the use of MÖNCH: due to its extremely small pixel pitch, the detector intrinsically offers excellent position resolution. Moreover, in low flux conditions, charge sharing between neighboring pixels allows the use of position interpolation algorithms which grant a resolution at the micrometer-level. Its energy reconstruction and imaging capabilities have been tested for the first time at a low energy beamline at PSI, with photon energies between 1.75 keV and 3.5 keV, and results will be shown.

Performance verification of the CMS Phase-1 Upgrade Pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veszpremi, V.

2017-12-01

The CMS tracker consists of two tracking systems utilizing semiconductor technology: the inner pixel and the outer strip detectors. The tracker detectors occupy the volume around the beam interaction region between 3 cm and 110 cm in radius and up to 280 cm along the beam axis. The pixel detector consists of 124 million pixels, corresponding to about 2 m 2 total area. It plays a vital role in the seeding of the track reconstruction algorithms and in the reconstruction of primary interactions and secondary decay vertices. It is surrounded by the strip tracker with 10 million read-out channels, corresponding to 200 m 2 total area. The tracker is operated in a high-occupancy and high-radiation environment established by particle collisions in the LHC . The current strip detector continues to perform very well. The pixel detector that has been used in Run 1 and in the first half of Run 2 was, however, replaced with the so-called Phase-1 Upgrade detector. The new system is better suited to match the increased instantaneous luminosity the LHC would reach before 2023. It was built to operate at an instantaneous luminosity of around 2×1034 cm-2s-1. The detector's new layout has an additional inner layer with respect to the previous one; it allows for more efficient tracking with smaller fake rate at higher event pile-up. The paper focuses on the first results obtained during the commissioning of the new detector. It also includes challenges faced during the first data taking to reach the optimal measurement efficiency. Details will be given on the performance at high occupancy with respect to observables such as data-rate, hit reconstruction efficiency, and resolution.

Radiation hardness assessment of the charge-integrating hybrid pixel detector JUNGFRAU 1.0 for photon science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jungmann-Smith, J. H.; Bergamaschi, A.; Brückner, M.; Cartier, S.; Dinapoli, R.; Greiffenberg, D.; Jaggi, A.; Maliakal, D.; Mayilyan, D.; Medjoubi, K.; Mezza, D.; Mozzanica, A.; Ramilli, M.; Ruder, Ch.; Schädler, L.; Schmitt, B.; Shi, X.; Tinti, G.

2015-12-01

JUNGFRAU (adJUstiNg Gain detector FoR the Aramis User station) is a two-dimensional hybrid pixel detector for photon science applications in free electron lasers, particularly SwissFEL, and synchrotron light sources. JUNGFRAU is an automatic gain switching, charge-integrating detector which covers a dynamic range of more than 104 photons of an energy of 12 keV with a good linearity, uniformity of response, and spatial resolving power. The JUNGFRAU 1.0 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) features a 256 × 256 pixel matrix of 75 × 75 μm2 pixels and is bump-bonded to a 320 μm thick Si sensor. Modules of 2 × 4 chips cover an area of about 4 × 8 cm2. Readout rates in excess of 2 kHz enable linear count rate capabilities of 20 MHz (at 12 keV) and 50 MHz (at 5 keV). The tolerance of JUNGFRAU to radiation is a key issue to guarantee several years of operation at free electron lasers and synchrotrons. The radiation hardness of JUNGFRAU 1.0 is tested with synchrotron radiation up to 10 MGy of delivered dose. The effect of radiation-induced changes on the noise, baseline, gain, and gain switching is evaluated post-irradiation for both the ASIC and the hybridized assembly. The bare JUNGFRAU 1.0 chip can withstand doses as high as 10 MGy with minor changes to its noise and a reduction in the preamplifier gain. The hybridized assembly, in particular the sensor, is affected by the photon irradiation which mainly shows as an increase in the leakage current. Self-healing of the system is investigated during a period of 11 weeks after the delivery of the radiation dose. Annealing radiation-induced changes by bake-out at 100 °C is investigated. It is concluded that the JUNGFRAU 1.0 pixel is sufficiently radiation-hard for its envisioned applications at SwissFEL and synchrotron beam lines.

Development of a High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector for Synchrotrons and XFELs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Joel Todd

Advances in synchrotron radiation light source technology have opened new lines of inquiry in material science, biology, and everything in between. However, x-ray detector capabilities must advance in concert with light source technology to fully realize experimental possibilities. X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) place particularly large demands on the capabilities of detectors, and developments towards diffraction-limited storage ring sources also necessitate detectors capable of measuring very high flux [1-3]. The detector described herein builds on the Mixed Mode Pixel Array Detector (MM-PAD) framework, developed previously by our group to perform high dynamic range imaging, and the Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) developed for the European XFEL by a collaboration between Deustsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), the Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI), the University of Hamburg, and the University of Bonn, led by Heinz Graafsma [4, 5]. The feasibility of combining adaptive gain with charge removal techniques to increase dynamic range in XFEL experiments is assessed by simulating XFEL scatter with a pulsed infrared laser. The strategy is incorporated into pixel prototypes which are evaluated with direct current injection to simulate very high incident x-ray flux. A fully functional 16x16 pixel hybrid integrating x-ray detector featuring several different pixel architectures based on the prototypes was developed. This dissertation describes its operation and characterization. To extend dynamic range, charge is removed from the integration node of the front-end amplifier without interrupting integration. The number of times this process occurs is recorded by a digital counter in the pixel. The parameter limiting full well is thereby shifted from the size of an integration capacitor to the depth of a digital counter. The result is similar to that achieved by counting pixel array detectors, but the integrators presented here are designed to tolerate a

Quantification of the Conditioning Phase in Cooled Pixelated TlBr Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehler, Will; He, Zhong; O'Neal, Sean; Yang, Hao; Kim, Hadong; Cirignano, Leonard; Shah, Kanai

2015-08-01

Thallium-bromide (TlBr) is currently under investigation as an alternative room-temperature semiconductor gamma-ray spectrometer due to its favorable material properties (large bandgap, high atomic numbers, and high density). Previous work has shown that 5 mm thick pixelated TlBr detectors can achieve sub-1% FWHM energy resolution at 662 keV for single-pixel events. These results are limited to - 20° C operation where detector performance is stable. During the first one to five days of applied bias at - 20° C, many TlBr detectors undergo a conditioning phase, where the energy resolution improves and the depth-dependent electron drift velocity stabilizes. In this work, the spectroscopic performance, drift velocity, and freed electron concentrations of multiple 5 mm thick pixelated TlBr detectors are monitored throughout the conditioning phase. Additionally, conditioning is performed twice on the same detector at different times to show that improvement mechanisms relax when the detector is stored without bias. We conclude that the improved spectroscopy results from internal electric field stabilization and uniformity caused by fewer trapped electrons.

Beam test results of the BTeV silicon pixel detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gabriele Chiodini et al.

2000-09-28

The authors have described the results of the BTeV silicon pixel detector beam test. The pixel detectors under test used samples of the first two generations of Fermilab pixel readout chips, FPIX0 and FPIX1, (indium bump-bonded to ATLAS sensor prototypes). The spatial resolution achieved using analog charge information is excellent for a large range of track inclination. The resolution is still very good using only 2-bit charge information. A relatively small dependence of the resolution on bias voltage is observed. The resolution is observed to depend dramatically on the discriminator threshold, and it deteriorates rapidly for threshold above 4000e{sup {minus}}.

Development of a cylindrical tracking detector with multichannel scintillation fibers and pixelated photon detector readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akazawa, Y.; Miwa, K.; Honda, R.; Shiozaki, T.; Chiga, N.

2015-07-01

We are developing a cylindrical tracking detector for a Σp scattering experiment in J-PARC with scintillation fibers and the Pixelated Photon Detector (PPD) readout, which is called as cylindrical fiber tracker (CFT), in order to reconstruct trajectories of charged particles emitted inside CFT. CFT works not only as a tracking detector but also a particle identification detector from energy deposits. A prototype CFT consisting of two straight layers and one spiral layer was constructed. About 1100 scintillation fibers with a diameter of 0.75 mm (Kuraray SCSF-78 M) were used. Each fiber signal was read by Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC, HPK S10362-11-050P, 1×1 mm2, 400 pixels) fiber by fiber. MPPCs were handled with Extended Analogue Silicon Photomultipliers Integrated ReadOut Chip (EASIROC) boards, which were developed for the readout of a large number of MPPCs. The energy resolution of one layer was 28% for a 70 MeV proton where the energy deposit in fibers was 0.7 MeV.

Limits in point to point resolution of MOS based pixels detector arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fourches, N.; Desforge, D.; Kebbiri, M.; Kumar, V.; Serruys, Y.; Gutierrez, G.; Leprêtre, F.; Jomard, F.

2018-01-01

In high energy physics point-to-point resolution is a key prerequisite for particle detector pixel arrays. Current and future experiments require the development of inner-detectors able to resolve the tracks of particles down to the micron range. Present-day technologies, although not fully implemented in actual detectors, can reach a 5-μm limit, this limit being based on statistical measurements, with a pixel-pitch in the 10 μm range. This paper is devoted to the evaluation of the building blocks for use in pixel arrays enabling accurate tracking of charged particles. Basing us on simulations we will make here a quantitative evaluation of the physical and technological limits in pixel size. Attempts to design small pixels based on SOI technology will be briefly recalled here. A design based on CMOS compatible technologies that allow a reduction of the pixel size below the micrometer is introduced here. Its physical principle relies on a buried carrier-localizing collecting gate. The fabrication process needed by this pixel design can be based on existing process steps used in silicon microelectronics. The pixel characteristics will be discussed as well as the design of pixel arrays. The existing bottlenecks and how to overcome them will be discussed in the light of recent ion implantation and material characterization experiments.

A new generation of small pixel pitch/SWaP cooled infrared detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espuno, L.; Pacaud, O.; Reibel, Y.; Rubaldo, L.; Kerlain, A.; Péré-Laperne, N.; Dariel, A.; Roumegoux, J.; Brunner, A.; Kessler, A.; Gravrand, O.; Castelein, P.

2015-10-01

Following clear technological trends, the cooled IR detectors market is now in demand for smaller, more efficient and higher performance products. This demand pushes products developments towards constant innovations on detectors, read-out circuits, proximity electronics boards, and coolers. Sofradir was first to show a 10μm focal plane array (FPA) at DSS 2012, and announced the DAPHNIS 10μm product line back in 2014. This pixel pitch is a key enabler for infrared detectors with increased resolution. Sofradir recently achieved outstanding products demonstrations at this pixel pitch, which clearly demonstrate the benefits of adopting 10μm pixel pitch focal plane array-based detectors. Both HD and XGA Daphnis 10μm products also benefit from a global video datapath efficiency improvement by transitioning to digital video interfaces. Moreover, innovative smart pixels functionalities drastically increase product versatility. In addition to this strong push towards a higher pixels density, Sofradir acknowledges the need for smaller and lower power cooled infrared detector. Together with straightforward system interfaces and better overall performances, latest technological advances on SWAP-C (Size, Weight, Power and Cost) Sofradir products enable the advent of a new generation of high performance portable and agile systems (handheld thermal imagers, unmanned aerial vehicles, light gimbals etc...). This paper focuses on those features and performances that can make an actual difference in the field.

Pixel pitch and particle energy influence on the dark current distribution of neutron irradiated CMOS image sensors.

PubMed

Belloir, Jean-Marc; Goiffon, Vincent; Virmontois, Cédric; Raine, Mélanie; Paillet, Philippe; Duhamel, Olivier; Gaillardin, Marc; Molina, Romain; Magnan, Pierre; Gilard, Olivier

2016-02-22

The dark current produced by neutron irradiation in CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) is investigated. Several CIS with different photodiode types and pixel pitches are irradiated with various neutron energies and fluences to study the influence of each of these optical detector and irradiation parameters on the dark current distribution. An empirical model is tested on the experimental data and validated on all the irradiated optical imagers. This model is able to describe all the presented dark current distributions with no parameter variation for neutron energies of 14 MeV or higher, regardless of the optical detector and irradiation characteristics. For energies below 1 MeV, it is shown that a single parameter has to be adjusted because of the lower mean damage energy per nuclear interaction. This model and these conclusions can be transposed to any silicon based solid-state optical imagers such as CIS or Charged Coupled Devices (CCD). This work can also be used when designing an optical imager instrument, to anticipate the dark current increase or to choose a mitigation technique.

Advanced processing of CdTe pixel radiation detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gädda, A.; Winkler, A.; Ott, J.; Härkönen, J.; Karadzhinova-Ferrer, A.; Koponen, P.; Luukka, P.; Tikkanen, J.; Vähänen, S.

2017-12-01

We report a fabrication process of pixel detectors made of bulk cadmium telluride (CdTe) crystals. Prior to processing, the quality and defect density in CdTe material was characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The semiconductor detector and Flip-Chip (FC) interconnection processing was carried out in the clean room premises of Micronova Nanofabrication Centre in Espoo, Finland. The chip scale processes consist of the aluminum oxide (Al2O3) low temperature thermal Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), titanium tungsten (TiW) metal sputtering depositions and an electroless Nickel growth. CdTe crystals with the size of 10×10×0.5 mm3 were patterned with several photo-lithography techniques. In this study, gold (Au) was chosen as the material for the wettable Under Bump Metalization (UBM) pads. Indium (In) based solder bumps were grown on PSI46dig read out chips (ROC) having 4160 pixels within an area of 1 cm2. CdTe sensor and ROC were hybridized using a low temperature flip-chip (FC) interconnection technique. The In-Au cold weld bonding connections were successfully connecting both elements. After the processing the detector packages were wire bonded into associated read out electronics. The pixel detectors were tested at the premises of Finnish Radiation Safety Authority (STUK). During the measurement campaign, the modules were tested by exposure to a 137Cs source of 1.5 TBq for 8 minutes. We detected at the room temperature a photopeak at 662 keV with about 2 % energy resolution.

18F-FDG positron autoradiography with a particle counting silicon pixel detector.

PubMed

Russo, P; Lauria, A; Mettivier, G; Montesi, M C; Marotta, M; Aloj, L; Lastoria, S

2008-11-07

We report on tests of a room-temperature particle counting silicon pixel detector of the Medipix2 series as the detector unit of a positron autoradiography (AR) system, for samples labelled with (18)F-FDG radiopharmaceutical used in PET studies. The silicon detector (1.98 cm(2) sensitive area, 300 microm thick) has high intrinsic resolution (55 microm pitch) and works by counting all hits in a pixel above a certain energy threshold. The present work extends the detector characterization with (18)F-FDG of a previous paper. We analysed the system's linearity, dynamic range, sensitivity, background count rate, noise, and its imaging performance on biological samples. Tests have been performed in the laboratory with (18)F-FDG drops (37-37 000 Bq initial activity) and ex vivo in a rat injected with 88.8 MBq of (18)F-FDG. Particles interacting in the detector volume produced a hit in a cluster of pixels whose mean size was 4.3 pixels/event at 11 keV threshold and 2.2 pixels/event at 37 keV threshold. Results show a sensitivity for beta(+) of 0.377 cps Bq(-1), a dynamic range of at least five orders of magnitude and a lower detection limit of 0.0015 Bq mm(-2). Real-time (18)F-FDG positron AR images have been obtained in 500-1000 s exposure time of thin (10-20 microm) slices of a rat brain and compared with 20 h film autoradiography of adjacent slices. The analysis of the image contrast and signal-to-noise ratio in a rat brain slice indicated that Poisson noise-limited imaging can be approached in short (e.g. 100 s) exposures, with approximately 100 Bq slice activity, and that the silicon pixel detector produced a higher image quality than film-based AR.

The first bump-bonded pixel detectors on CVD diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, W.; Bauer, C.; Berdermann, E.; Bergonzo, P.; Bogani, F.; Borchi, E.; Brambilla, A.; Bruzzi, M.; Colledani, C.; Conway, J.; Dabrowski, W.; Delpierre, P.; Deneuville, A.; Dulinski, W.; van Eijk, B.; Fallou, A.; Fizzotti, F.; Foulon, F.; Friedl, M.; Gan, K. K.; Gheeraert, E.; Grigoriev, E.; Hallewell, G.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Han, S.; Hartjes, F.; Hrubec, J.; Husson, D.; Kagan, H.; Kania, D.; Kaplon, J.; Karl, C.; Kass, R.; Krammer, M.; Logiudice, A.; Lu, R.; Manfredi, P. F.; Manfredotti, C.; Marshall, R. D.; Meier, D.; Mishina, M.; Oh, A.; Palmieri, V. G.; Pan, L. S.; Peitz, A.; Pernicka, M.; Pirollo, S.; Polesello, P.; Pretzl, K.; Re, V.; Riester, J. L.; Roe, S.; Roff, D.; Rudge, A.; Schnetzer, S.; Sciortino, S.; Speziali, V.; Stelzer, H.; Steuerer, J.; Stone, R.; Tapper, R. J.; Tesarek, R.; Trawick, M.; Trischuk, W.; Turchetta, R.; Vittone, E.; Wagner, A.; Walsh, A. M.; Wedenig, R.; Weilhammer, P.; Zeuner, W.; Ziock, H.; Zoeller, M.; Charles, E.; Ciocio, A.; Dao, K.; Einsweiler, K.; Fasching, D.; Gilchriese, M.; Joshi, A.; Kleinfelder, S.; Milgrome, O.; Palaio, N.; Richardson, J.; Sinervo, P.; Zizka, G.; RD42 Collaboration

1999-11-01

Diamond is a nearly ideal material for detecting ionising radiation. Its outstanding radiation hardness, fast charge collection and low leakage current allow it to be used in high radiation environments. These characteristics make diamond sensors particularly appealing for use in the next generation of pixel detectors. Over the last year, the RD42 collaboration has worked with several groups that have developed pixel readout electronics in order to optimise diamond sensors for bump-bonding. This effort resulted in an operational diamond pixel sensor that was tested in a pion beam. We demonstrate that greater than 98% of the channels were successfully bump-bonded and functioning. The device shows good overall hit efficiency as well as clear spatial hit correlation to tracks measured in a silicon reference telescope. A position resolution of 14.8 μm was observed, consistent with expectations given the detector pitch.

Study of cluster shapes in a monolithic active pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maçzewski, ł.; Adamus, M.; Ciborowski, J.; Grzelak, G.; łużniak, P.; Nieżurawski, P.; Żarnecki, A. F.

2009-11-01

Beamstrahlung will constitute an important source of background in a pixel vertex detector at the future International Linear Collider. Electron and positron tracks of this origin impact the pixel planes at angles generally larger than those of secondary hadrons and the corresponding clusters are elongated. We report studies of cluster characteristics using test beam electron tracks incident at various angles on a MIMOSA-5 monolithic active pixel sensor matrix.

Development of a Cost-Effective Modular Pixelated NaI(Tl) Detector for Clinical SPECT Applications

PubMed Central

Rozler, Mike; Liang, Haoning; Chang, Wei

2013-01-01

A new pixelated detector for high-resolution clinical SPECT applications was designed and tested. The modular detector is based on a scintillator block comprised of 2.75×2.75×10 mm3 NaI(Tl) pixels and decoded by an array of 51 mm diameter single-anode PMTs. Several configurations, utilizing two types of PMTs, were evaluated using a collimated beam source to measure positioning accuracy directly. Good pixel separation was observed, with correct pixel identification ranging from 60 to 72% averaged over the entire area of the modules, depending on the PMT type and configuration. This translates to a significant improvement in positioning accuracy compared to continuous slab detectors of the same thickness, along with effective reduction of “dead” space at the edges. The observed 10% average energy resolution compares well to continuous slab detectors. The combined performance demonstrates the suitability of pixelated detectors decoded with a relatively small number of medium-sized PMTs as a cost-effective approach for high resolution clinical SPECT applications, in particular those involving curved detector geometries. PMID:24146436

Modeling and analysis of hybrid pixel detector deficiencies for scientific applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahim, Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Hoff, James R.; Mohseni, Hooman

2015-08-01

Semiconductor hybrid pixel detectors often consist of a pixellated sensor layer bump bonded to a matching pixelated readout integrated circuit (ROIC). The sensor can range from high resistivity Si to III-V materials, whereas a Si CMOS process is typically used to manufacture the ROIC. Independent, device physics and electronic design automation (EDA) tools are used to determine sensor characteristics and verify functional performance of ROICs respectively with significantly different solvers. Some physics solvers provide the capability of transferring data to the EDA tool. However, single pixel transient simulations are either not feasible due to convergence difficulties or are prohibitively long. A simplified sensor model, which includes a current pulse in parallel with detector equivalent capacitor, is often used; even then, spice type top-level (entire array) simulations range from days to weeks. In order to analyze detector deficiencies for a particular scientific application, accurately defined transient behavioral models of all the functional blocks are required. Furthermore, various simulations, such as transient, noise, Monte Carlo, inter-pixel effects, etc. of the entire array need to be performed within a reasonable time frame without trading off accuracy. The sensor and the analog front-end can be modeling using a real number modeling language, as complex mathematical functions or detailed data can be saved to text files, for further top-level digital simulations. Parasitically aware digital timing is extracted in a standard delay format (sdf) from the pixel digital back-end layout as well as the periphery of the ROIC. For any given input, detector level worst-case and best-case simulations are performed using a Verilog simulation environment to determine the output. Each top-level transient simulation takes no more than 10-15 minutes. The impact of changing key parameters such as sensor Poissonian shot noise, analog front-end bandwidth, jitter due to

Application of pixel-cell detector technology for Advanced Neutron Beam Monitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kopp, Daniel M.

2011-01-11

Application of Pixel-Cell Detector Technology for Advanced Neutron Beam Monitors Specifications of currently available neutron beam detectors limit their usefulness at intense neutron beams of large-scale national user facilities used for the advanced study of materials. A large number of neutron-scattering experiments require beam monitors to operate in an intense neutron beam flux of >10E+7 neutrons per second per square centimeter. For instance, a 4 cm x 4 cm intense beam flux of 6.25 x 10E+7 n/s/cm2 at the Spallation Neutron Source will put a flux of 1.00 x 10E+9 n/s at the beam monitor. Currently available beam monitors withmore » a typical efficiency of 1 x 10E-4 will need to be replaced in less than two years of operation due to wire and gas degradation issues. There is also a need at some instruments for beam position information that are beyond the capabilities of currently available He-3 and BF3 neutron beam monitors. ORDELA, Inc.’s research under USDOE SBIR Grant (DE-FG02-07ER84844) studied the feasibility of using pixel-cell technology for developing a new generation of stable, long-life neutron beam monitors. The research effort has led to the development and commercialization of advanced neutron beam detectors that will directly benefit the Spallation Neutron Source and other intense neutron sources such as the High Flux Isotope Reactor. A prototypical Pixel-Cell Neutron Beam Monitor was designed and constructed during this research effort. This prototype beam monitor was exposed to an intense neutron beam at the HFIR SNS HB-2 test beam site. Initial measurements on efficiency, uniformity across the detector, and position resolution yielded excellent results. The development and test results have provided the required data to initiate the fabrication and commercialization of this next generation of neutron-detector systems. ORDELA, Inc. has (1) identified low-cost design and fabrication strategies, (2) developed and built pixel-cell detectors and

Small-angle solution scattering using the mixed-mode pixel array detector.

PubMed

Koerner, Lucas J; Gillilan, Richard E; Green, Katherine S; Wang, Suntao; Gruner, Sol M

2011-03-01

Solution small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements were obtained using a 128 × 128 pixel X-ray mixed-mode pixel array detector (MMPAD) with an 860 µs readout time. The MMPAD offers advantages for SAXS experiments: a pixel full-well of >2 × 10(7) 10 keV X-rays, a maximum flux rate of 10(8) X-rays pixel(-1) s(-1), and a sub-pixel point-spread function. Data from the MMPAD were quantitatively compared with data from a charge-coupled device (CCD) fiber-optically coupled to a phosphor screen. MMPAD solution SAXS data from lysozyme solutions were of equal or better quality than data captured by the CCD. The read-noise (normalized by pixel area) of the MMPAD was less than that of the CCD by an average factor of 3.0. Short sample-to-detector distances were required owing to the small MMPAD area (19.2 mm × 19.2 mm), and were revealed to be advantageous with respect to detector read-noise. As predicted by the Shannon sampling theory and confirmed by the acquisition of lysozyme solution SAXS curves, the MMPAD at short distances is capable of sufficiently sampling a solution SAXS curve for protein shape analysis. The readout speed of the MMPAD was demonstrated by continuously monitoring lysozyme sample evolution as radiation damage accumulated. These experiments prove that a small suitably configured MMPAD is appropriate for time-resolved solution scattering measurements.

An EUDET/AIDA Pixel Beam Telescope for Detector Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinskiy, I.; EUDET Consortium; AIDA Consortium

Ahigh resolution(σ< 2 μm) beam telescope based on monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) was developed within the EUDET collaboration. EUDET was a coordinated detector R&D programme for the future International Linear Collider providing test beam infrastructure to detector R&D groups. The telescope consists of six sensor planes with a pixel pitch of either 18.4 μm or 10 μmand canbe operated insidea solenoidal magnetic fieldofupto1.2T.Ageneral purpose cooling, positioning, data acquisition (DAQ) and offine data analysis tools are available for the users. The excellent resolution, readout rate andDAQintegration capabilities made the telescopea primary beam tests tool also for several CERN based experiments. In this report the performance of the final telescope is presented. The plans for an even more flexible telescope with three differentpixel technologies(ATLASPixel, Mimosa,Timepix) withinthenew European detector infrastructure project AIDA are presented.

Silicon pixel-detector R&D for CLIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nürnberg, A.

2016-11-01

The physics aims at the future CLIC high-energy linear e+e- collider set very high precision requirements on the performance of the vertex and tracking detectors. Moreover, these detectors have to be well adapted to the experimental conditions, such as the time structure of the collisions and the presence of beam-induced backgrounds. The principal challenges are: a point resolution of a few μm, ultra-low mass (~ 0.2%X0 per layer for the vertex region and ~ 1%X0 per layer for the outer tracker), very low power dissipation (compatible with air-flow cooling in the inner vertex region) and pulsed power operation, complemented with ~ 10 ns time stamping capabilities. A highly granular all-silicon vertex and tracking detector system is under development, following an integrated approach addressing simultaneously the physics requirements and engineering constraints. For the vertex-detector region, hybrid pixel detectors with small pitch (25 μm) and analog readout are explored. For the outer tracking region, both hybrid concepts and fully integrated CMOS sensors are under consideration. The feasibility of ultra-thin sensor layers is validated with Timepix3 readout ASICs bump bonded to active edge planar sensors with 50 μm to 150 μm thickness. Prototypes of CLICpix readout ASICs implemented in 6525 nm CMOS technology with 25 μm pixel pitch have been produced. Hybridisation concepts have been developed for interconnecting these chips either through capacitive coupling to active HV-CMOS sensors or through bump-bonding to planar sensors. Recent R&D achievements include results from beam tests with all types of hybrid assemblies. Simulations based on Geant4 and TCAD are used to validate the experimental results and to assess and optimise the performance of various detector designs.

Test apparatus to monitor time-domain signals from semiconductor-detector pixel arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haston, Kyle; Barber, H. Bradford; Furenlid, Lars R.; Salçin, Esen; Bora, Vaibhav

2011-10-01

Pixellated semiconductor detectors, such as CdZnTe, CdTe, or TlBr, are used for gamma-ray imaging in medicine and astronomy. Data analysis for these detectors typically estimates the position (x, y, z) and energy (E) of each interacting gamma ray from a set of detector signals {Si} corresponding to completed charge transport on the hit pixel and any of its neighbors that take part in charge sharing, plus the cathode. However, it is clear from an analysis of signal induction, that there are transient signal on all pixel electrodes during the charge transport and, when there is charge trapping, small negative residual signals on all electrodes. If we wish to optimally obtain the event parameters, we should take all these signals into account. We wish to estimate x,y,z and E from the set of all electrode signals, {Si(t)}, including time dependence, using maximum-likelihood techniques[1]. To do this, we need to determine the probability of the electrode signals, given the event parameters {x, y, z, E}, i.e. Pr( {Si(t)} | {x, y, z, E} ). Thus we need to map the detector response of all pixels, {Si(t)}, for a large number of events with known x,y,z and E.In this paper we demonstrate the existence of the transient signals and residual signals and determine their magnitudes. They are typically 50-100 times smaller than the hit-pixel signals. We then describe development of an apparatus to measure the response of a 16-pixel semiconductor detector and show some preliminary results. We also discuss techniques for measuring the event parameters for individual gamma-ray interactions, a requirement for determining Pr( {Si(t)} | {x, y, z, E}).

X-ray analog pixel array detector for single synchrotron bunch time-resolved imaging.

PubMed

Koerner, Lucas J; Gruner, Sol M

2011-03-01

Dynamic X-ray studies can reach temporal resolutions limited by only the X-ray pulse duration if the detector is fast enough to segregate synchrotron pulses. An analog integrating pixel array detector with in-pixel storage and temporal resolution of around 150 ns, sufficient to isolate pulses, is presented. Analog integration minimizes count-rate limitations and in-pixel storage captures successive pulses. Fundamental tests of noise and linearity as well as high-speed laser measurements are shown. The detector resolved individual bunch trains at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source at levels of up to 3.7 × 10(3) X-rays per pixel per train. When applied to turn-by-turn X-ray beam characterization, single-shot intensity measurements were made with a repeatability of 0.4% and horizontal oscillations of the positron cloud were detected.

X-ray analog pixel array detector for single synchrotron bunch time-resolved imaging

PubMed Central

Koerner, Lucas J.; Gruner, Sol M.

2011-01-01

Dynamic X-ray studies can reach temporal resolutions limited by only the X-ray pulse duration if the detector is fast enough to segregate synchrotron pulses. An analog integrating pixel array detector with in-pixel storage and temporal resolution of around 150 ns, sufficient to isolate pulses, is presented. Analog integration minimizes count-rate limitations and in-pixel storage captures successive pulses. Fundamental tests of noise and linearity as well as high-speed laser measurements are shown. The detector resolved individual bunch trains at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source at levels of up to 3.7 × 103 X-rays per pixel per train. When applied to turn-by-turn X-ray beam characterization, single-shot intensity measurements were made with a repeatability of 0.4% and horizontal oscillations of the positron cloud were detected. PMID:21335901

Pixel detectors in double beta decay experiments, a new approach for background reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jose, J. M.; Čermák, P.; Štekl, I.

Double beta decay (ββ) experiments are challenging frontiers in contemporary physics. These experiments have the potential to investigate more about neutrinos (eg. nature and mass). The main challenge for these experiments is the reduction of background. The group at IEAP, CTU in Prague is investigating a new approach using pixel detectors Timepix. Pixel detector offer background reduction capabilities with its ability to identify the particle interaction (from the 2D signature it generates). However, use of pixel detectors has some challenges such as the presence of readout electronics near the sensing medium and heat dissipation. Different aspects of pixel setup (identificationmore » of radio-impurities, selection of radio-pure materials) and proposed experimental setup are presented. Also, results of preliminary background measurements (performed on the surface and in the underground laboratories) using the prototype setups are presented.« less

Self-adjusting threshold mechanism for pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heim, Timon; Garcia-Sciveres, Maurice

2017-09-01

Readout chips of hybrid pixel detectors use a low power amplifier and threshold discrimination to process charge deposited in semiconductor sensors. Due to transistor mismatch each pixel circuit needs to be calibrated individually to achieve response uniformity. Traditionally this is addressed by programmable threshold trimming in each pixel, but requires robustness against radiation effects, temperature, and time. In this paper a self-adjusting threshold mechanism is presented, which corrects the threshold for both spatial inequality and time variation and maintains a constant response. It exploits the electrical noise as relative measure for the threshold and automatically adjust the threshold of each pixel to always achieve a uniform frequency of noise hits. A digital implementation of the method in the form of an up/down counter and combinatorial logic filter is presented. The behavior of this circuit has been simulated to evaluate its performance and compare it to traditional calibration results. The simulation results show that this mechanism can perform equally well, but eliminates instability over time and is immune to single event upsets.

Pixelated gamma detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dolinsky, Sergei Ivanovich; Yanoff, Brian David; Guida, Renato

2016-12-27

A pixelated gamma detector includes a scintillator column assembly having scintillator crystals and optical transparent elements alternating along a longitudinal axis, a collimator assembly having longitudinal walls separated by collimator septum, the collimator septum spaced apart to form collimator channels, the scintillator column assembly positioned adjacent to the collimator assembly so that the respective ones of the scintillator crystal are positioned adjacent to respective ones of the collimator channels, the respective ones of the optical transparent element are positioned adjacent to respective ones of the collimator septum, and a first photosensor and a second photosensor, the first and the secondmore » photosensor each connected to an opposing end of the scintillator column assembly. A system and a method for inspecting and/or detecting defects in an interior of an object are also disclosed.« less

Qualification and calibration tests of detector modules for the CMS Pixel Phase 1 upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, D.; Backhaus, M.; Berger, P.; Meinhard, M.; Starodumov, A.; Tavolaro, V.

2018-01-01

In high energy particle physics, accelerator- and detector-upgrades always go hand in hand. The instantaneous luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider will increase to up to L = 2×1034cm-2s-1 during Run 2 until 2023. In order to cope with such luminosities, the pixel detector of the CMS experiment has been replaced early 2017. The so-called CMS Pixel phase 1 upgrade detector consists of 1184 modules with new design. An important production step is the module qualification and calibration, ensuring their proper functionality within the detector. This paper summarizes the qualification and calibration tests and results of modules used in the innermost two detector layers with focus on methods using module-internal calibration signals. Extended characterizations on pixel level such as electronic noise and bump bond connectivity, optimization of operational parameters, sensor quality and thermal stress resistance were performed using a customized setup with controlled environment. It could be shown that the selected modules have on average 0.55‰ ± 0.01‰ defective pixels and that all performance parameters stay within their specifications.

Test beam performance measurements for the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dragicevic, M.; Friedl, M.; Hrubec, J.; Steininger, H.; Gädda, A.; Härkönen, J.; Lampén, T.; Luukka, P.; Peltola, T.; Tuominen, E.; Tuovinen, E.; Winkler, A.; Eerola, P.; Tuuva, T.; Baulieu, G.; Boudoul, G.; Caponetto, L.; Combaret, C.; Contardo, D.; Dupasquier, T.; Gallbit, G.; Lumb, N.; Mirabito, L.; Perries, S.; Vander Donckt, M.; Viret, S.; Bonnin, C.; Charles, L.; Gross, L.; Hosselet, J.; Tromson, D.; Feld, L.; Karpinski, W.; Klein, K.; Lipinski, M.; Pierschel, G.; Preuten, M.; Rauch, M.; Wlochal, M.; Aldaya, M.; Asawatangtrakuldee, C.; Beernaert, K.; Bertsche, D.; Contreras-Campana, C.; Eckerlin, G.; Eckstein, D.; Eichhorn, T.; Gallo, E.; Garay Garcia, J.; Hansen, K.; Haranko, M.; Harb, A.; Hauk, J.; Keaveney, J.; Kalogeropoulos, A.; Kleinwort, C.; Lohmann, W.; Mankel, R.; Maser, H.; Mittag, G.; Muhl, C.; Mussgiller, A.; Pitzl, D.; Reichelt, O.; Savitskyi, M.; Schütze, P.; Sola, V.; Spannagel, S.; Walsh, R.; Zuber, A.; Biskop, H.; Buhmann, P.; Centis-Vignali, M.; Garutti, E.; Haller, J.; Hoffmann, M.; Klanner, R.; Lapsien, T.; Matysek, M.; Perieanu, A.; Scharf, Ch.; Schleper, P.; Schmidt, A.; Schwandt, J.; Sonneveld, J.; Steinbrück, G.; Vormwald, B.; Wellhausen, J.; Abbas, M.; Amstutz, C.; Barvich, T.; Barth, Ch.; Boegelspacher, F.; De Boer, W.; Butz, E.; Casele, M.; Colombo, F.; Dierlamm, A.; Freund, B.; Hartmann, F.; Heindl, S.; Husemann, U.; Kornmeyer, A.; Kudella, S.; Muller, Th.; Simonis, H. J.; Steck, P.; Weber, M.; Weiler, Th.; Kiss, T.; Siklér, F.; Tölyhi, T.; Veszprémi, V.; Cariola, P.; Creanza, D.; De Palma, M.; De Robertis, G.; Fiore, L.; Franco, M.; Loddo, F.; Sala, G.; Silvestris, L.; Maggi, G.; My, S.; Selvaggi, G.; Albergo, S.; Cappello, G.; Costa, S.; Di Mattia, A.; Giordano, F.; Potenza, R.; Saizu, M. A.; Tricomi, A.; Tuve, C.; Focardi, E.; Dinardo, M. E.; Fiorendi, S.; Gennai, S.; Malvezzi, S.; Manzoni, R. A.; Menasce, D.; Moroni, L.; Pedrini, D.; Azzi, P.; Bacchetta, N.; Bisello, D.; Dall'Osso, M.; Pozzobon, N.; Tosi, M.; Alunni Solestizi, L.; Biasini, M.; Bilei, G. M.; Cecchi, C.; Checcucci, B.; Ciangottini, D.; Fanò, L.; Gentsos, C.; Ionica, M.; Leonardi, R.; Manoni, E.; Mantovani, G.; Marconi, S.; Mariani, V.; Menichelli, M.; Modak, A.; Morozzi, A.; Moscatelli, F.; Passeri, D.; Placidi, P.; Postolache, V.; Rossi, A.; Saha, A.; Santocchia, A.; Storchi, L.; Spiga, D.; Androsov, K.; Azzurri, P.; Bagliesi, G.; Basti, A.; Boccali, T.; Borrello, L.; Bosi, F.; Castaldi, R.; Ceccanti, M.; Ciocci, M. A.; Dell'Orso, R.; Donato, S.; Fedi, G.; Giassi, A.; Grippo, M. T.; Ligabue, F.; Magazzu, G.; Mammini, P.; Mariani, F.; Mazzoni, E.; Messineo, A.; Moggi, A.; Morsani, F.; Palla, F.; Palmonari, F.; Profeti, A.; Raffaelli, F.; Ragonesi, A.; Rizzi, A.; Soldani, A.; Spagnolo, P.; Tenchini, R.; Tonelli, G.; Venturi, A.; Verdini, P. G.; Abbaneo, D.; Ahmed, I.; Albert, E.; Auzinger, G.; Berruti, G.; Bonnaud, J.; Daguin, J.; D'Auria, A.; Detraz, S.; Dondelewski, O.; Engegaard, B.; Faccio, F.; Frank, N.; Gill, K.; Honma, A.; Kornmayer, A.; Labaza, A.; Manolescu, F.; McGill, I.; Mersi, S.; Michelis, S.; Onnela, A.; Ostrega, M.; Pavis, S.; Peisert, A.; Pernot, J.-F.; Petagna, P.; Postema, H.; Rapacz, K.; Sigaud, C.; Tropea, P.; Troska, J.; Tsirou, A.; Vasey, F.; Verlaat, B.; Vichoudis, P.; Zwalinski, L.; Bachmair, F.; Becker, R.; di Calafiori, D.; Casal, B.; Berger, P.; Djambazov, L.; Donega, M.; Grab, C.; Hits, D.; Hoss, J.; Kasieczka, G.; Lustermann, W.; Mangano, B.; Marionneau, M.; Martinez Ruiz del Arbol, P.; Masciovecchio, M.; Meinhard, M.; Perozzi, L.; Roeser, U.; Starodumov, A.; Tavolaro, V.; Wallny, R.; Zhu, D.; Amsler, C.; Bösiger, K.; Caminada, L.; Canelli, F.; Chiochia, V.; de Cosa, A.; Galloni, C.; Hreus, T.; Kilminster, B.; Lange, C.; Maier, R.; Ngadiuba, J.; Pinna, D.; Robmann, P.; Taroni, S.; Yang, Y.; Bertl, W.; Deiters, K.; Erdmann, W.; Horisberger, R.; Kaestli, H.-C.; Kotlinski, D.; Langenegger, U.; Meier, B.; Rohe, T.; Streuli, S.; Chen, P.-H.; Dietz, C.; Fiori, F.; Grundler, U.; Hou, W.-S.; Lu, R.-S.; Moya, M.; Tsai, J.-F.; Tzeng, Y. M.; Cussans, D.; Goldstein, J.; Grimes, M.; Newbold, D.; Hobson, P.; Reid, I. D.; Auzinger, G.; Bainbridge, R.; Dauncey, P.; Hall, G.; James, T.; Magnan, A.-M.; Pesaresi, M.; Raymond, D. M.; Uchida, K.; Durkin, T.; Harder, K.; Shepherd-Themistocleous, C.; Chertok, M.; Conway, J.; Conway, R.; Flores, C.; Lander, R.; Pellett, D.; Ricci-Tam, F.; Squires, M.; Thomson, J.; Yohay, R.; Burt, K.; Ellison, J.; Hanson, G.; Olmedo, M.; Si, W.; Yates, B. R.; Dominguez, A.; Bartek, R.; Bentele, B.; Cumalat, J. P.; Ford, W. T.; Jensen, F.; Johnson, A.; Krohn, M.; Leontsinis, S.; Mulholland, T.; Stenson, K.; Wagner, S. R.; Apresyan, A.; Bolla, G.; Burkett, K.; Butler, J. N.; Canepa, A.; Cheung, H. W. K.; Christian, D.; Cooper, W. E.; Deptuch, G.; Derylo, G.; Gingu, C.; Grünendahl, S.; Hasegawa, S.; Hoff, J.; Howell, J.; Hrycyk, M.; Jindariani, S.; Johnson, M.; Kahlid, F.; Kwan, S.; Lei, C. M.; Lipton, R.; Lopes De Sá, R.; Liu, T.; Los, S.; Matulik, M.; Merkel, P.; Nahn, S.; Prosser, A.; Rivera, R.; Schneider, B.; Sellberg, G.; Shenai, A.; Siehl, K.; Spiegel, L.; Tran, N.; Uplegger, L.; Voirin, E.; Berry, D. R.; Chen, X.; Ennesser, L.; Evdokimov, A.; Gerber, C. E.; Makauda, S.; Mills, C.; Sandoval Gonzalez, I. D.; Alimena, J.; Antonelli, L. J.; Francis, B.; Hart, A.; Hill, C. S.; Parashar, N.; Stupak, J.; Bortoletto, D.; Bubna, M.; Hinton, N.; Jones, M.; Miller, D. H.; Shi, X.; Baringer, P.; Bean, A.; Khalil, S.; Kropivnitskaya, A.; Majumder, D.; Schmitz, E.; Wilson, G.; Ivanov, A.; Mendis, R.; Mitchell, T.; Skhirtladze, N.; Taylor, R.; Anderson, I.; Fehling, D.; Gritsan, A.; Maksimovic, P.; Martin, C.; Nash, K.; Osherson, M.; Swartz, M.; Xiao, M.; Acosta, J. G.; Cremaldi, L. M.; Oliveros, S.; Perera, L.; Summers, D.; Bloom, K.; Claes, D. R.; Fangmeier, C.; Gonzalez Suarez, R.; Monroy, J.; Siado, J.; Bartz, E.; Gershtein, Y.; Halkiadakis, E.; Kyriacou, S.; Lath, A.; Nash, K.; Osherson, M.; Schnetzer, S.; Stone, R.; Walker, M.; Malik, S.; Norberg, S.; Ramirez Vargas, J. E.; Alyari, M.; Dolen, J.; Godshalk, A.; Harrington, C.; Iashvili, I.; Kharchilava, A.; Nguyen, D.; Parker, A.; Rappoccio, S.; Roozbahani, B.; Alexander, J.; Chaves, J.; Chu, J.; Dittmer, S.; McDermott, K.; Mirman, N.; Rinkevicius, A.; Ryd, A.; Salvati, E.; Skinnari, L.; Soffi, L.; Tao, Z.; Thom, J.; Tucker, J.; Zientek, M.; Akgün, B.; Ecklund, K. M.; Kilpatrick, M.; Nussbaum, T.; Zabel, J.; D'Angelo, P.; Johns, W.; Rose, K.; Choudhury, S.; Korol, I.; Seitz, C.; Vargas Trevino, A.; Dolinska, G.

2017-05-01

A new pixel detector for the CMS experiment was built in order to cope with the instantaneous luminosities anticipated for the Phase I Upgrade of the LHC . The new CMS pixel detector provides four-hit tracking with a reduced material budget as well as new cooling and powering schemes. A new front-end readout chip mitigates buffering and bandwidth limitations, and allows operation at low comparator thresholds. In this paper, comprehensive test beam studies are presented, which have been conducted to verify the design and to quantify the performance of the new detector assemblies in terms of tracking efficiency and spatial resolution. Under optimal conditions, the tracking efficiency is 99.95 ± 0.05%, while the intrinsic spatial resolutions are 4.80 ± 0.25 μm and 7.99 ± 0.21 μm along the 100 μm and 150 μm pixel pitch, respectively. The findings are compared to a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the pixel detector and good agreement is found.

A review of advances in pixel detectors for experiments with high rate and radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Sciveres, Maurice; Wermes, Norbert

2018-06-01

The large Hadron collider (LHC) experiments ATLAS and CMS have established hybrid pixel detectors as the instrument of choice for particle tracking and vertexing in high rate and radiation environments, as they operate close to the LHC interaction points. With the high luminosity-LHC upgrade now in sight, for which the tracking detectors will be completely replaced, new generations of pixel detectors are being devised. They have to address enormous challenges in terms of data throughput and radiation levels, ionizing and non-ionizing, that harm the sensing and readout parts of pixel detectors alike. Advances in microelectronics and microprocessing technologies now enable large scale detector designs with unprecedented performance in measurement precision (space and time), radiation hard sensors and readout chips, hybridization techniques, lightweight supports, and fully monolithic approaches to meet these challenges. This paper reviews the world-wide effort on these developments.

Small-angle solution scattering using the mixed-mode pixel array detector

PubMed Central

Koerner, Lucas J.; Gillilan, Richard E.; Green, Katherine S.; Wang, Suntao; Gruner, Sol M.

2011-01-01

Solution small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements were obtained using a 128 × 128 pixel X-ray mixed-mode pixel array detector (MMPAD) with an 860 µs readout time. The MMPAD offers advantages for SAXS experiments: a pixel full-well of >2 × 107 10 keV X-rays, a maximum flux rate of 108 X-rays pixel−1 s−1, and a sub-pixel point-spread function. Data from the MMPAD were quantitatively compared with data from a charge-coupled device (CCD) fiber-optically coupled to a phosphor screen. MMPAD solution SAXS data from lysozyme solutions were of equal or better quality than data captured by the CCD. The read-noise (normalized by pixel area) of the MMPAD was less than that of the CCD by an average factor of 3.0. Short sample-to-detector distances were required owing to the small MMPAD area (19.2 mm × 19.2 mm), and were revealed to be advantageous with respect to detector read-noise. As predicted by the Shannon sampling theory and confirmed by the acquisition of lysozyme solution SAXS curves, the MMPAD at short distances is capable of sufficiently sampling a solution SAXS curve for protein shape analysis. The readout speed of the MMPAD was demonstrated by continuously monitoring lysozyme sample evolution as radiation damage accumulated. These experiments prove that a small suitably configured MMPAD is appropriate for time-resolved solution scattering measurements. PMID:21335900

Characterization of thin irradiated epitaxial silicon sensors for the CMS phase II pixel upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Centis Vignali, M.

2015-02-01

The high-luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider foreseen for 2023 resulted on the decision to replace the tracker system of the CMS experiment. The innermost layer of the new pixel detector will experience fluences in the order of phieq ≈ 1016 cm-2 and a dose of ≈ 5 MGy after an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb-1. Several materials and designs are under investigation in order to build a detector that can withstand such high fluences. Thin planar silicon sensors are good candidates to achieve this goal since the degradation of the signal produced by traversing particles is less severe than for thicker devices. A study has been carried out in order to characterize highly irradiated planar epitaxial silicon sensors with an active thickness of 100 μm. The investigation includes pad diodes and strip detectors irradiated up to a fluence of phieq = 1.3 × 1016 cm-2, and 3 × 1015 cm-2, respectively. The electrical properties of diodes have been characterized using laboratory measurements, while measurements have been carried out at the DESY II test beam facility to characterize the charge collection of the strip detectors. A beam telescope has been used to determine precisely the impact position of beam particles on the sensor. This allows the unbiased extraction of the charge deposited in the strip sensor and good identification of the noise. In this paper, the results obtained for p-bulk sensors are shown. The charge collection efficiency of the strip sensors is 90% at 1000 V after a fluence of phieq = 3 × 1015 cm-2. The irradiated diodes show charge multiplication effects. The impact of the threshold applied to a detector on its efficiency is also discussed.

Modulation transfer function measurement technique for small-pixel detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marchywka, Mike; Socker, Dennis G.

1992-01-01

A modulation transfer function (MTF) measurement technique suitable for large-format, small-pixel detector characterization has been investigated. A volume interference grating is used as a test image instead of the bar or sine wave target images normally used. This technique permits a high-contrast, large-area, sinusoidal intensity distribution to illuminate the device being tested, avoiding the need to deconvolve raw data with imaging system characteristics. A high-confidence MTF result at spatial frequencies near 200 cycles/mm is obtained. We present results at several visible light wavelengths with a 6.8-micron-pixel CCD. Pixel response functions are derived from the MTF results.

The Belle-II Depfet Pixel Detector at the Superkekb Flavour Factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heindl, Stefan

2012-08-01

The ongoing upgrade of the asymmetric electron positron collider KEKB also requires extensive detector upgrades to cope with the new design luminosity of 8 · 1035 cm-2 · s-1 · Of critical importance is the new silicon pixel vertex tracker, which will significantly improve the decay vertex resolution, crucial for time dependent CP violation measurements. This new detector will consist of two layers of DEPFET pixel seii8ors very close to the interaction point. These sensors combine both particle detection and amplification of the signal by embedding a field effect transistor into a 75 μm thick fully depleted silicon substrate, providing very high signal to noise ratios and excellent spatial resolution. Using this technology satisfies the given requirements of extremely low material and high radiation tolerance at the new Belle II experiment. The power dissipation due to continuous readout at high rate and spatial constraints also give strict requirements for the mechanical support and cooling of the new detector. We will discuss the overall concept of the pixel vertex tracker, its expected performance and the challenging mechanical integration.

Simultaneous fluorescence and quantitative phase microscopy with single-pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Suo, Jinli; Zhang, Yuanlong; Dai, Qionghai

2018-02-01

Multimodal microscopy offers high flexibilities for biomedical observation and diagnosis. Conventional multimodal approaches either use multiple cameras or a single camera spatially multiplexing different modes. The former needs expertise demanding alignment and the latter suffers from limited spatial resolution. Here, we report an alignment-free full-resolution simultaneous fluorescence and quantitative phase imaging approach using single-pixel detectors. By combining reference-free interferometry with single-pixel detection, we encode the phase and fluorescence of the sample in two detection arms at the same time. Then we employ structured illumination and the correlated measurements between the sample and the illuminations for reconstruction. The recovered fluorescence and phase images are inherently aligned thanks to single-pixel detection. To validate the proposed method, we built a proof-of-concept setup for first imaging the phase of etched glass with the depth of a few hundred nanometers and then imaging the fluorescence and phase of the quantum dot drop. This method holds great potential for multispectral fluorescence microscopy with additional single-pixel detectors or a spectrometer. Besides, this cost-efficient multimodal system might find broad applications in biomedical science and neuroscience.

Photon-counting hexagonal pixel array CdTe detector: Spatial resolution characteristics for image-guided interventional applications.

PubMed

Vedantham, Srinivasan; Shrestha, Suman; Karellas, Andrew; Shi, Linxi; Gounis, Matthew J; Bellazzini, Ronaldo; Spandre, Gloria; Brez, Alessandro; Minuti, Massimo

2016-05-01

High-resolution, photon-counting, energy-resolved detector with fast-framing capability can facilitate simultaneous acquisition of precontrast and postcontrast images for subtraction angiography without pixel registration artifacts and can facilitate high-resolution real-time imaging during image-guided interventions. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the spatial resolution characteristics of a hexagonal pixel array photon-counting cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector. A 650 μm thick CdTe Schottky photon-counting detector capable of concurrently acquiring up to two energy-windowed images was operated in a single energy-window mode to include photons of 10 keV or higher. The detector had hexagonal pixels with apothem of 30 μm resulting in pixel pitch of 60 and 51.96 μm along the two orthogonal directions. The detector was characterized at IEC-RQA5 spectral conditions. Linear response of the detector was determined over the air kerma rate relevant to image-guided interventional procedures ranging from 1.3 nGy/frame to 91.4 μGy/frame. Presampled modulation transfer was determined using a tungsten edge test device. The edge-spread function and the finely sampled line spread function accounted for hexagonal sampling, from which the presampled modulation transfer function (MTF) was determined. Since detectors with hexagonal pixels require resampling to square pixels for distortion-free display, the optimal square pixel size was determined by minimizing the root-mean-squared-error of the aperture functions for the square and hexagonal pixels up to the Nyquist limit. At Nyquist frequencies of 8.33 and 9.62 cycles/mm along the apothem and orthogonal to the apothem directions, the modulation factors were 0.397 and 0.228, respectively. For the corresponding axis, the limiting resolution defined as 10% MTF occurred at 13.3 and 12 cycles/mm, respectively. Evaluation of the aperture functions yielded an optimal square pixel size of 54 μm. After resampling to 54 �

Development and characterization of high-resolution neutron pixel detectors based on Timepix read-out chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krejci, F.; Zemlicka, J.; Jakubek, J.; Dudak, J.; Vavrik, D.; Köster, U.; Atkins, D.; Kaestner, A.; Soltes, J.; Viererbl, L.; Vacik, J.; Tomandl, I.

2016-12-01

Using a suitable isotope such as 6Li and 10B semiconductor hybrid pixel detectors can be successfully adapted for position sensitive detection of thermal and cold neutrons via conversion into energetic light ions. The adapted devices then typically provides spatial resolution at the level comparable to the pixel pitch (55 μm) and sensitive area of about few cm2. In this contribution, we describe further progress in neutron imaging performance based on the development of a large-area hybrid pixel detector providing practically continuous neutron sensitive area of 71 × 57 mm2. The measurements characterising the detector performance at the cold neutron imaging instrument ICON at PSI and high-flux imaging beam-line Neutrograph at ILL are presented. At both facilities, high-resolution high-contrast neutron radiography with the newly developed detector has been successfully applied for objects which imaging were previously difficult with hybrid pixel technology (such as various composite materials, objects of cultural heritage etc.). Further, a significant improvement in the spatial resolution of neutron radiography with hybrid semiconductor pixel detector based on the fast read-out Timepix-based detector is presented. The system is equipped with a thin planar 6LiF convertor operated effectively in the event-by-event mode enabling position sensitive detection with spatial resolution better than 10 μm.

Pixelated transmission-mode diamond X-ray detector.

PubMed

Zhou, Tianyi; Ding, Wenxiang; Gaowei, Mengjia; De Geronimo, Gianluigi; Bohon, Jen; Smedley, John; Muller, Erik

2015-11-01

Fabrication and testing of a prototype transmission-mode pixelated diamond X-ray detector (pitch size 60-100 µm), designed to simultaneously measure the flux, position and morphology of an X-ray beam in real time, are described. The pixel density is achieved by lithographically patterning vertical stripes on the front and horizontal stripes on the back of an electronic-grade chemical vapor deposition single-crystal diamond. The bias is rotated through the back horizontal stripes and the current is read out on the front vertical stripes at a rate of ∼ 1 kHz, which leads to an image sampling rate of ∼ 30 Hz. This novel signal readout scheme was tested at beamline X28C at the National Synchrotron Light Source (white beam, 5-15 keV) and at beamline G3 at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (monochromatic beam, 11.3 keV) with incident beam flux ranges from 1.8 × 10(-2) to 90 W mm(-2). Test results show that the novel detector provides precise beam position (positional noise within 1%) and morphology information (error within 2%), with an additional software-controlled single channel mode providing accurate flux measurement (fluctuation within 1%).

Test beam performance measurements for the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dragicevic, M.; Friedl, M.; Hrubec, J.

A new pixel detector for the CMS experiment was built in order to cope with the instantaneous luminosities anticipated for the Phase~I Upgrade of the LHC. The new CMS pixel detector provides four-hit tracking with a reduced material budget as well as new cooling and powering schemes. A new front-end readout chip mitigates buffering and bandwidth limitations, and allows operation at low comparator thresholds. Here in this paper, comprehensive test beam studies are presented, which have been conducted to verify the design and to quantify the performance of the new detector assemblies in terms of tracking efficiency and spatial resolution. Under optimal conditions, the tracking efficiency ismore » $$99.95\\pm0.05\\,\\%$$, while the intrinsic spatial resolutions are $$4.80\\pm0.25\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ and $$7.99\\pm0.21\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ along the $$100\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ and $$150\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ pixel pitch, respectively. The findings are compared to a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the pixel detector and good agreement is found.« less

Test beam performance measurements for the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector

DOE PAGES

Dragicevic, M.; Friedl, M.; Hrubec, J.; ...

2017-05-30

A new pixel detector for the CMS experiment was built in order to cope with the instantaneous luminosities anticipated for the Phase~I Upgrade of the LHC. The new CMS pixel detector provides four-hit tracking with a reduced material budget as well as new cooling and powering schemes. A new front-end readout chip mitigates buffering and bandwidth limitations, and allows operation at low comparator thresholds. Here in this paper, comprehensive test beam studies are presented, which have been conducted to verify the design and to quantify the performance of the new detector assemblies in terms of tracking efficiency and spatial resolution. Under optimal conditions, the tracking efficiency ismore » $$99.95\\pm0.05\\,\\%$$, while the intrinsic spatial resolutions are $$4.80\\pm0.25\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ and $$7.99\\pm0.21\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ along the $$100\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ and $$150\\,\\mu \\mathrm{m}$$ pixel pitch, respectively. The findings are compared to a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the pixel detector and good agreement is found.« less

Monolithic active pixel radiation detector with shielding techniques

DOEpatents

Deptuch, Grzegorz W.

2018-03-20

A monolithic active pixel radiation detector including a method of fabricating thereof. The disclosed radiation detector can include a substrate comprising a silicon layer upon which electronics are configured. A plurality of channels can be formed on the silicon layer, wherein the plurality of channels are connected to sources of signals located in a bulk part of the substrate, and wherein the signals flow through electrically conducting vias established in an isolation oxide on the substrate. One or more nested wells can be configured from the substrate, wherein the nested wells assist in collecting charge carriers released in interaction with radiation and wherein the nested wells further separate the electronics from the sensing portion of the detector substrate. The detector can also be configured according to a thick SOA method of fabrication.

Monolithic active pixel radiation detector with shielding techniques

DOEpatents

Deptuch, Grzegorz W.

2016-09-06

A monolithic active pixel radiation detector including a method of fabricating thereof. The disclosed radiation detector can include a substrate comprising a silicon layer upon which electronics are configured. A plurality of channels can be formed on the silicon layer, wherein the plurality of channels are connected to sources of signals located in a bulk part of the substrate, and wherein the signals flow through electrically conducting vias established in an isolation oxide on the substrate. One or more nested wells can be configured from the substrate, wherein the nested wells assist in collecting charge carriers released in interaction with radiation and wherein the nested wells further separate the electronics from the sensing portion of the detector substrate. The detector can also be configured according to a thick SOA method of fabrication.

Evaluation of PET Imaging Resolution Using 350 mu{m} Pixelated CZT as a VP-PET Insert Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yongzhi; Chen, Ximeng; Li, Chongzheng; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Guo, Qingzhen; Krawczynski, Henric; Meng, Ling-Jian; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2014-02-01

A cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) detector with 350 μm pitch pixels was studied in high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) imaging applications. The PET imaging system was based on coincidence detection between a CZT detector and a lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO)-based Inveon PET detector in virtual-pinhole PET geometry. The LSO detector is a 20 ×20 array, with 1.6 mm pitches, and 10 mm thickness. The CZT detector uses ac 20 ×20 ×5 mm substrate, with 350 μm pitch pixelated anodes and a coplanar cathode. A NEMA NU4 Na-22 point source of 250 μm in diameter was imaged by this system. Experiments show that the image resolution of single-pixel photopeak events was 590 μm FWHM while the image resolution of double-pixel photopeak events was 640 μm FWHM. The inclusion of double-pixel full-energy events increased the sensitivity of the imaging system. To validate the imaging experiment, we conducted a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for the same PET system in Geant4 Application for Emission Tomography. We defined LSO detectors as a scanner ring and 350 μm pixelated CZT detectors as an insert ring. GATE simulated coincidence data were sorted into an insert-scanner sinogram and reconstructed. The image resolution of MC-simulated data (which did not factor in positron range and acolinearity effect) was 460 μm at FWHM for single-pixel events. The image resolutions of experimental data, MC simulated data, and theoretical calculation are all close to 500 μm FWHM when the proposed 350 μm pixelated CZT detector is used as a PET insert. The interpolation algorithm for the charge sharing events was also investigated. The PET image that was reconstructed using the interpolation algorithm shows improved image resolution compared with the image resolution without interpolation algorithm.

Study of run time errors of the ATLAS pixel detector in the 2012 data taking period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gandrajula, Reddy Pratap

The high resolution silicon Pixel detector is critical in event vertex reconstruction and in particle track reconstruction in the ATLAS detector. During the pixel data taking operation, some modules (Silicon Pixel sensor +Front End Chip+ Module Control Chip (MCC)) go to an auto-disable state, where the Modules don't send the data for storage. Modules become operational again after reconfiguration. The source of the problem is not fully understood. One possible source of the problem is traced to the occurrence of single event upset (SEU) in the MCC. Such a module goes to either a Timeout or Busy state. This report is the study of different types and rates of errors occurring in the Pixel data taking operation. Also, the study includes the error rate dependency on Pixel detector geometry.

Photon-counting hexagonal pixel array CdTe detector: Spatial resolution characteristics for image-guided interventional applications

PubMed Central

Shrestha, Suman; Karellas, Andrew; Shi, Linxi; Gounis, Matthew J.; Bellazzini, Ronaldo; Spandre, Gloria; Brez, Alessandro; Minuti, Massimo

2016-01-01

Purpose: High-resolution, photon-counting, energy-resolved detector with fast-framing capability can facilitate simultaneous acquisition of precontrast and postcontrast images for subtraction angiography without pixel registration artifacts and can facilitate high-resolution real-time imaging during image-guided interventions. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the spatial resolution characteristics of a hexagonal pixel array photon-counting cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector. Methods: A 650 μm thick CdTe Schottky photon-counting detector capable of concurrently acquiring up to two energy-windowed images was operated in a single energy-window mode to include photons of 10 keV or higher. The detector had hexagonal pixels with apothem of 30 μm resulting in pixel pitch of 60 and 51.96 μm along the two orthogonal directions. The detector was characterized at IEC-RQA5 spectral conditions. Linear response of the detector was determined over the air kerma rate relevant to image-guided interventional procedures ranging from 1.3 nGy/frame to 91.4 μGy/frame. Presampled modulation transfer was determined using a tungsten edge test device. The edge-spread function and the finely sampled line spread function accounted for hexagonal sampling, from which the presampled modulation transfer function (MTF) was determined. Since detectors with hexagonal pixels require resampling to square pixels for distortion-free display, the optimal square pixel size was determined by minimizing the root-mean-squared-error of the aperture functions for the square and hexagonal pixels up to the Nyquist limit. Results: At Nyquist frequencies of 8.33 and 9.62 cycles/mm along the apothem and orthogonal to the apothem directions, the modulation factors were 0.397 and 0.228, respectively. For the corresponding axis, the limiting resolution defined as 10% MTF occurred at 13.3 and 12 cycles/mm, respectively. Evaluation of the aperture functions yielded an optimal square pixel size of 54 �

Pixel detectors for x-ray imaging spectroscopy in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treis, J.; Andritschke, R.; Hartmann, R.; Herrmann, S.; Holl, P.; Lauf, T.; Lechner, P.; Lutz, G.; Meidinger, N.; Porro, M.; Richter, R. H.; Schopper, F.; Soltau, H.; Strüder, L.

2009-03-01

Pixelated semiconductor detectors for X-ray imaging spectroscopy are foreseen as key components of the payload of various future space missions exploring the x-ray sky. Located on the platform of the new Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma satellite, the eROSITA (extended Roentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) instrument will perform an imaging all-sky survey up to an X-ray energy of 10 keV with unprecedented spectral and angular resolution. The instrument will consist of seven parallel oriented mirror modules each having its own pnCCD camera in the focus. The satellite born X-ray observatory SIMBOL-X will be the first mission to use formation-flying techniques to implement an X-ray telescope with an unprecedented focal length of around 20 m. The detector instrumentation consists of separate high- and low energy detectors, a monolithic 128 × 128 DEPFET macropixel array and a pixellated CdZTe detector respectively, making energy band between 0.5 to 80 keV accessible. A similar concept is proposed for the next generation X-ray observatory IXO. Finally, the MIXS (Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer) instrument on the European Mercury exploration mission BepiColombo will use DEPFET macropixel arrays together with a small X-ray telescope to perform a spatially resolved planetary XRF analysis of Mercury's crust. Here, the mission concepts and their scientific targets are briefly discussed, and the resulting requirements on the detector devices together with the implementation strategies are shown.

50 μm pixel pitch wafer-scale CMOS active pixel sensor x-ray detector for digital breast tomosynthesis.

PubMed

Zhao, C; Konstantinidis, A C; Zheng, Y; Anaxagoras, T; Speller, R D; Kanicki, J

2015-12-07

Wafer-scale CMOS active pixel sensors (APSs) have been developed recently for x-ray imaging applications. The small pixel pitch and low noise are very promising properties for medical imaging applications such as digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). In this work, we evaluated experimentally and through modeling the imaging properties of a 50 μm pixel pitch CMOS APS x-ray detector named DynAMITe (Dynamic Range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology). A modified cascaded system model was developed for CMOS APS x-ray detectors by taking into account the device nonlinear signal and noise properties. The imaging properties such as modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were extracted from both measurements and the nonlinear cascaded system analysis. The results show that the DynAMITe x-ray detector achieves a high spatial resolution of 10 mm(-1) and a DQE of around 0.5 at spatial frequencies  <1 mm(-1). In addition, the modeling results were used to calculate the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNRi) of microcalcifications at various mean glandular dose (MGD). For an average breast (5 cm thickness, 50% glandular fraction), 165 μm microcalcifications can be distinguished at a MGD of 27% lower than the clinical value (~1.3 mGy). To detect 100 μm microcalcifications, further optimizations of the CMOS APS x-ray detector, image aquisition geometry and image reconstruction techniques should be considered.

Pixelated transmission-mode diamond X-ray detector

PubMed Central

Zhou, Tianyi; Ding, Wenxiang; Gaowei, Mengjia; De Geronimo, Gianluigi; Bohon, Jen; Smedley, John; Muller, Erik

2015-01-01

Fabrication and testing of a prototype transmission-mode pixelated diamond X-ray detector (pitch size 60–100 µm), designed to simultaneously measure the flux, position and morphology of an X-ray beam in real time, are described. The pixel density is achieved by lithographically patterning vertical stripes on the front and horizontal stripes on the back of an electronic-grade chemical vapor deposition single-crystal diamond. The bias is rotated through the back horizontal stripes and the current is read out on the front vertical stripes at a rate of ∼1 kHz, which leads to an image sampling rate of ∼30 Hz. This novel signal readout scheme was tested at beamline X28C at the National Synchrotron Light Source (white beam, 5–15 keV) and at beamline G3 at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (monochromatic beam, 11.3 keV) with incident beam flux ranges from 1.8 × 10−2 to 90 W mm−2. Test results show that the novel detector provides precise beam position (positional noise within 1%) and morphology information (error within 2%), with an additional software-controlled single channel mode providing accurate flux measurement (fluctuation within 1%). PMID:26524304

Use of high-granularity CdZnTe pixelated detectors to correct response non-uniformities caused by defects in crystals

DOE PAGES

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; Cui, Y.; ...

2015-09-06

Following our successful demonstration of the position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, we investigated the feasibility of using high-granularity position sensing to correct response non-uniformities caused by the crystal defects in CdZnTe (CZT) pixelated detectors. The development of high-granularity detectors able to correct response non-uniformities on a scale comparable to the size of electron clouds opens the opportunity of using unselected off-the-shelf CZT material, whilst still assuring high spectral resolution for the majority of the detectors fabricated from an ingot. Here, we present the results from testing 3D position-sensitive 15×15×10 mm 3 pixelated detectors, fabricated with conventional pixel patterns with progressively smallermore » pixel sizes: 1.4, 0.8, and 0.5 mm. We employed the readout system based on the H3D front-end multi-channel ASIC developed by BNL's Instrumentation Division in collaboration with the University of Michigan. We use the sharing of electron clouds among several adjacent pixels to measure locations of interaction points with sub-pixel resolution. By using the detectors with small-pixel sizes and a high probability of the charge-sharing events, we were able to improve their spectral resolutions in comparison to the baseline levels, measured for the 1.4-mm pixel size detectors with small fractions of charge-sharing events. These results demonstrate that further enhancement of the performance of CZT pixelated detectors and reduction of costs are possible by using high spatial-resolution position information of interaction points to correct the small-scale response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects present in most devices.« less

Charge Sharing and Charge Loss in a Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Fine-Pixel Detector Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, J. A.; Sharma, D. P.; Ramsey, B. D.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Because of its high atomic number, room temperature operation, low noise, and high spatial resolution a Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) multi-pixel detector is ideal for hard x-ray astrophysical observation. As part of on-going research at MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) to develop multi-pixel CdZnTe detectors for this purpose, we have measured charge sharing and charge loss for a 4x4 (750micron pitch), lmm thick pixel array and modeled these results using a Monte-Carlo simulation. This model was then used to predict the amount of charge sharing for a much finer pixel array (with a 300micron pitch). Future work will enable us to compare the simulated results for the finer array to measured values.

Design Studies of a CZT-based Detector Combined with a Pixel-Geometry-Matching Collimator for SPECT Imaging.

PubMed

Weng, Fenghua; Bagchi, Srijeeta; Huang, Qiu; Seo, Youngho

2013-10-01

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) suffers limited efficiency due to the need for collimators. Collimator properties largely decide the data statistics and image quality. Various materials and configurations of collimators have been investigated in many years. The main thrust of our study is to evaluate the design of pixel-geometry-matching collimators to investigate their potential performances using Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. Here, a pixel-geometry-matching collimator is defined as a collimator which is divided into the same number of pixels as the detector's and the center of each pixel in the collimator is a one-to-one correspondence to that in the detector. The detector is made of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT), which is one of the most promising materials for applications to detect hard X-rays and γ -rays due to its ability to obtain good energy resolution and high light output at room temperature. For our current project, we have designed a large-area, CZT-based gamma camera (20.192 cm×20.192 cm) with a small pixel pitch (1.60 mm). The detector is pixelated and hence the intrinsic resolution can be as small as the size of the pixel. Materials of collimator, collimator hole geometry, detection efficiency, and spatial resolution of the CZT detector combined with the pixel-matching collimator were calculated and analyzed under different conditions. From the simulation studies, we found that such a camera using rectangular holes has promising imaging characteristics in terms of spatial resolution, detection efficiency, and energy resolution.

A CMOS pixel sensor prototype for the outer layers of linear collider vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Morel, F.; Hu-Guo, C.; Himmi, A.; Dorokhov, A.; Hu, Y.

2015-01-01

The International Linear Collider (ILC) expresses a stringent requirement for high precision vertex detectors (VXD). CMOS pixel sensors (CPS) have been considered as an option for the VXD of the International Large Detector (ILD), one of the detector concepts proposed for the ILC. MIMOSA-31 developed at IPHC-Strasbourg is the first CPS integrated with 4-bit column-level ADC for the outer layers of the VXD, adapted to an original concept minimizing the power consumption. It is composed of a matrix of 64 rows and 48 columns. The pixel concept combines in-pixel amplification with a correlated double sampling (CDS) operation in order to reduce the temporal noise and fixed pattern noise (FPN). At the bottom of the pixel array, each column is terminated with a self-triggered analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC design was optimized for power saving at a sampling frequency of 6.25 MS/s. The prototype chip is fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS technology. This paper presents the details of the prototype chip and its test results.

Computational imaging with a single-pixel detector and a consumer video projector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sych, D.; Aksenov, M.

2018-02-01

Single-pixel imaging is a novel rapidly developing imaging technique that employs spatially structured illumination and a single-pixel detector. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a fully operating modular single-pixel imaging system. Light patterns in our setup are created with help of a computer-controlled digital micromirror device from a consumer video projector. We investigate how different working modes and settings of the projector affect the quality of reconstructed images. We develop several image reconstruction algorithms and compare their performance for real imaging. Also, we discuss the potential use of the single-pixel imaging system for quantum applications.

First tests of Timepix detectors based on semi-insulating GaAs matrix of different pixel size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaťko, B.; Kubanda, D.; Žemlička, J.; Šagátová, A.; Zápražný, Z.; Boháček, P.; Nečas, V.; Mora, Y.; Pichotka, M.; Dudák, J.

2018-02-01

In this work, we have focused on Timepix detectors coupled with the semi-insulating GaAs material sensor. We used undoped bulk GaAs material with the thickness of 350 μm. We prepared and tested four pixelated detectors with 165 μm and 220 μm pixel size with two versions of technology preparation, without and with wet chemically etched trenches around each pixel. We have carried out adjustment of GaAs Timepix detectors to optimize their performance. The energy calibration of one GaAs Timepix detector in Time-over-threshold mode was performed with the use of 241Am and 133Ba radioisotopes. We were able to detect γ-photons with the energy up to 160 keV. The X-ray imaging quality of GaAs Timepix detector was tested with X-ray source using various samples. After flat field we obtained very promising imaging performance of tested GaAs Timepix detectors.

Perspectives of the Pixel Detector Timepix for Needs of Ion Beam Therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martišíková, M.; Hartmann, B.; Jäkel, O.; Granja, C.; Jakubek, J.

2012-08-01

Radiation therapy with ion beams is a highly precise kind of cancer treatment. In ion beam therapy the finite range of the ion beams in tissue and the increase of ionization density at the end of their path, the Bragg-peak, are exploited. Ions heavier than protons offer in addition increased biological effectiveness and decreased scattering. In this contribution we discuss the potential of a quantum counting and position sensitive semiconductor detector Timepix for its applications in ion beam therapy measurements. It provides high sensitivity and high spatial resolution (pixel pitch 55 μm). The detector, developed by the Medipix Collaboration, consists of a silicon sensor bump bonded to a pixelated readout chip (256 × 256 pixels with 55 μm pitch). An integrated USB-based readout interface together with the Pixelman software enable registering single particles online with 2D-track visualization. The experiments were performed at the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT), which is a modern ion beam therapy facility. Patient treatments are performed with proton and carbon ions, which are accelerated by a synchrotron. For dose delivery to the patient an active technique is used: narrow pencil-like beams are scanned over the target volume. The possibility to use the detector for two different applications was investigated: ion spectroscopy and beam delivery monitoring by measurement of secondary charged particles around the patient. During carbon ion therapy, a variety of ion species is created by nuclear fragmentation processes of the primary beam. Since they differ in their biological effectiveness, it is of large interest to measure the ion spectra created under different conditions and to visualize their spatial distribution. The possibility of measurements of ion energy loss in silicon makes Timepix a promising detector for ion-spectroscopic studies in patient-like phantoms. Unpredictable changes in the patient can alter the range of the ion beam in the body

Frequency-multiplexed bias and readout of a 16-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doerner, S.; Kuzmin, A.; Wuensch, S.; Charaev, I.; Boes, F.; Zwick, T.; Siegel, M.

2017-07-01

We demonstrate a 16-pixel array of microwave-current driven superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with an integrated and scalable frequency-division multiplexing architecture, which reduces the required number of bias and readout lines to a single microwave feed line. The electrical behavior of the photon-sensitive nanowires, embedded in a resonant circuit, as well as the optical performance and timing jitter of the single detectors is discussed. Besides the single pixel measurements, we also demonstrate the operation of a 16-pixel array with a temporal, spatial, and photon-number resolution.

Three-dimensional cascaded system analysis of a 50 µm pixel pitch wafer-scale CMOS active pixel sensor x-ray detector for digital breast tomosynthesis.

PubMed

Zhao, C; Vassiljev, N; Konstantinidis, A C; Speller, R D; Kanicki, J

2017-03-07

High-resolution, low-noise x-ray detectors based on the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology have been developed and proposed for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). In this study, we evaluated the three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of a 50 µm pixel pitch CMOS APS x-ray detector named DynAMITe (Dynamic Range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology). The two-dimensional (2D) angle-dependent modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were experimentally characterized and modeled using the cascaded system analysis at oblique incident angles up to 30°. The cascaded system model was extended to the 3D spatial frequency space in combination with the filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction method to calculate the 3D and in-plane MTF, NNPS and DQE parameters. The results demonstrate that the beam obliquity blurs the 2D MTF and DQE in the high spatial frequency range. However, this effect can be eliminated after FBP image reconstruction. In addition, impacts of the image acquisition geometry and detector parameters were evaluated using the 3D cascaded system analysis for DBT. The result shows that a wider projection angle range (e.g.  ±30°) improves the low spatial frequency (below 5 mm -1 ) performance of the CMOS APS detector. In addition, to maintain a high spatial resolution for DBT, a focal spot size of smaller than 0.3 mm should be used. Theoretical analysis suggests that a pixelated scintillator in combination with the 50 µm pixel pitch CMOS APS detector could further improve the 3D image resolution. Finally, the 3D imaging performance of the CMOS APS and an indirect amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistor (TFT) passive pixel sensor (PPS) detector was simulated and compared.

Three-dimensional cascaded system analysis of a 50 µm pixel pitch wafer-scale CMOS active pixel sensor x-ray detector for digital breast tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, C.; Vassiljev, N.; Konstantinidis, A. C.; Speller, R. D.; Kanicki, J.

2017-03-01

High-resolution, low-noise x-ray detectors based on the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology have been developed and proposed for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). In this study, we evaluated the three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of a 50 µm pixel pitch CMOS APS x-ray detector named DynAMITe (Dynamic Range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology). The two-dimensional (2D) angle-dependent modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were experimentally characterized and modeled using the cascaded system analysis at oblique incident angles up to 30°. The cascaded system model was extended to the 3D spatial frequency space in combination with the filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction method to calculate the 3D and in-plane MTF, NNPS and DQE parameters. The results demonstrate that the beam obliquity blurs the 2D MTF and DQE in the high spatial frequency range. However, this effect can be eliminated after FBP image reconstruction. In addition, impacts of the image acquisition geometry and detector parameters were evaluated using the 3D cascaded system analysis for DBT. The result shows that a wider projection angle range (e.g.  ±30°) improves the low spatial frequency (below 5 mm-1) performance of the CMOS APS detector. In addition, to maintain a high spatial resolution for DBT, a focal spot size of smaller than 0.3 mm should be used. Theoretical analysis suggests that a pixelated scintillator in combination with the 50 µm pixel pitch CMOS APS detector could further improve the 3D image resolution. Finally, the 3D imaging performance of the CMOS APS and an indirect amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistor (TFT) passive pixel sensor (PPS) detector was simulated and compared.

NEW LENSLET BASED IFS WITH HIGH DETECTOR PIXEL EFFICIENCY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Qian

2018-01-01

Three IFS types currently used for optical design are: lenslet array, imager slicer, and lenslet array and fiber combined. Lenslet array based Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) is very popular for many astrophysics applications due to its compactness, simplicity, as well as cost and mass savings. The disadvantage of lenslet based IFS is its low detector pixel efficiency. Enough spacing is needed between adjacent spectral traces in cross dispersion direction to avoid wavelength cross-talk, because the same wavelength is not aligned to the same column on detector. Such as on a recent exoplanet coronagraph instrument study to support the coming astrophysics decadal survey (LUVOIR), to cover a 45 λ/D Field of View (FOV) with a spectral resolving power of 200 at shortest wavelength, a 4k x 4k detector array is needed. This large format EMCCD pushes the detector into technology development area with a low TRL. Besides the future mission, it will help WFIRST coronagraph IFS by packing all spectra into a smaller area on detector, which will reduce the chance for electrons to be trapped in pixels, and slow the detector degradation during the mission.The innovation we propose here is to increase the detector packing efficiency by grouping a number of lenslets together to form many mini slits. In other words, a number of spots (Point Spread Function at lenslet focus) are aligned into a line to resemble a mini slit. Therefore, wavelength cross-talk is no longer a concern anymore. This combines the advantage of lenslet array and imager slicer together. The isolation rows between spectral traces in cross dispersion direction can be reduced or removed. So the packing efficiency is greatly increased. Furthermore, the today’s microlithography and etching technique is capable of making such a lenslet array, which will relax the detector demand significantly. It will finally contribute to the habitable exoplanets study to analyzing their spectra from direct images. Detailed theory

Development of monolithic pixel detector with SOI technology for the ILC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, M.; Ono, S.; Tsuboyama, T.; Arai, Y.; Haba, J.; Ikegami, Y.; Kurachi, I.; Togawa, M.; Mori, T.; Aoyagi, W.; Endo, S.; Hara, K.; Honda, S.; Sekigawa, D.

2018-01-01

We have been developing a monolithic pixel sensor for the International Linear Collider (ILC) vertex detector with the 0.2 μm FD-SOI CMOS process by LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. We aim to achieve a 3 μm single-point resolution required for the ILC with a 20×20 μm2 pixel. Beam bunch crossing at the ILC occurs every 554 ns in 1-msec-long bunch trains with an interval of 200 ms. Each pixel must record the charge and time stamp of a hit to identify a collision bunch for event reconstruction. Necessary functions include the amplifier, comparator, shift register, analog memory and time stamp implementation in each pixel, and column ADC and Zero-suppression logic on the chip. We tested the first prototype sensor, SOFIST ver.1, with a 120 GeV proton beam at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility in January 2017. SOFIST ver.1 has a charge sensitive amplifier and two analog memories in each pixel, and an 8-bit Wilkinson-type ADC is implemented for each column on the chip. We measured the residual of the hit position to the reconstructed track. The standard deviation of the residual distribution fitted by a Gaussian is better than 3 μm.

The INFN-FBK pixel R&D program for HL-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meschini, M.; Dalla Betta, G. F.; Boscardin, M.; Calderini, G.; Darbo, G.; Giacomini, G.; Messineo, A.; Ronchin, S.

2016-09-01

We report on the ATLAS and CMS joint research activity, which is aiming at the development of new, thin silicon pixel detectors for the Large Hadron Collider Phase-2 detector upgrades. This R&D is performed under special agreement between Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare and FBK foundation (Trento, Italy). New generations of 3D and planar pixel sensors with active edges are being developed in the R&D project, and will be fabricated at FBK. A first planar pixel batch, which was produced by the end of year 2014, will be described in this paper. First clean room measurement results on planar sensors obtained before and after neutron irradiation will be presented.

CMOS Active Pixel Sensors as energy-range detectors for proton Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Esposito, M; Anaxagoras, T; Evans, P M; Green, S; Manolopoulos, S; Nieto-Camero, J; Parker, D J; Poludniowski, G; Price, T; Waltham, C; Allinson, N M

2015-06-03

Since the first proof of concept in the early 70s, a number of technologies has been proposed to perform proton CT (pCT), as a means of mapping tissue stopping power for accurate treatment planning in proton therapy. Previous prototypes of energy-range detectors for pCT have been mainly based on the use of scintillator-based calorimeters, to measure proton residual energy after passing through the patient. However, such an approach is limited by the need for only a single proton passing through the energy-range detector in a read-out cycle. A novel approach to this problem could be the use of pixelated detectors, where the independent read-out of each pixel allows to measure simultaneously the residual energy of a number of protons in the same read-out cycle, facilitating a faster and more efficient pCT scan. This paper investigates the suitability of CMOS Active Pixel Sensors (APSs) to track individual protons as they go through a number of CMOS layers, forming an energy-range telescope. Measurements performed at the iThemba Laboratories will be presented and analysed in terms of correlation, to confirm capability of proton tracking for CMOS APSs.

A history of hybrid pixel detectors, from high energy physics to medical imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delpierre, P.

2014-05-01

The aim of this paper is to describe the development of hybrid pixel detectors from the origin to the application on medical imaging. We are going to recall the need for fast 2D detectors in the high energy physics experiments and to follow the different pixel electronic circuits created to satisfy this demand. The adaptation of these circuits for X-rays will be presented as well as their industrialization. Today, a number of applications are open for these cameras, particularly for biomedical imaging applications. Some developments for clinical CT will also be shown.

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy using a fast pixel array detector with a grid mask resolution enhancer.

PubMed

Hoshino, Taiki; Kikuchi, Moriya; Murakami, Daiki; Harada, Yoshiko; Mitamura, Koji; Ito, Kiminori; Tanaka, Yoshihito; Sasaki, Sono; Takata, Masaki; Jinnai, Hiroshi; Takahara, Atsushi

2012-11-01

The performance of a fast pixel array detector with a grid mask resolution enhancer has been demonstrated for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) measurements to investigate fast dynamics on a microscopic scale. A detecting system, in which each pixel of a single-photon-counting pixel array detector, PILATUS, is covered by grid mask apertures, was constructed for XPCS measurements of silica nanoparticles in polymer melts. The experimental results are confirmed to be consistent by comparison with other independent experiments. By applying this method, XPCS measurements can be carried out by customizing the hole size of the grid mask to suit the experimental conditions, such as beam size, detector size and sample-to-detector distance.

3-D Spatial Resolution of 350 μm Pitch Pixelated CdZnTe Detectors for Imaging Applications.

PubMed

Yin, Yongzhi; Chen, Ximeng; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Garson, Alfred; Li, Qiang; Guo, Qingzhen; Krawczynski, Henric; Meng, Ling-Jian; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2013-02-01

We are currently investigating the feasibility of using highly pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors for sub-500 μ m resolution PET imaging applications. A 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm CdZnTe substrate was fabricated with 350 μ m pitch pixels (250 μ m anode pixels with 100 μ m gap) and coplanar cathode. Charge sharing among the pixels of a 350 μ m pitch detector was studied using collimated 122 keV and 511 keV gamma ray sources. For a 350 μ m pitch CdZnTe detector, scatter plots of the charge signal of two neighboring pixels clearly show more charge sharing when the collimated beam hits the gap between adjacent pixels. Using collimated Co-57 and Ge-68 sources, we measured the count profiles and estimated the intrinsic spatial resolution of 350 μ m pitch detector biased at -1000 V. Depth of interaction was analyzed based on two methods, i.e., cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time, in both 122 keV and 511 keV measurements. For single-pixel photopeak events, a linear correlation between cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time was shown, which would be useful for estimating the DOI information and preserving image resolution in CdZnTe PET imaging applications.

3-D Spatial Resolution of 350 μm Pitch Pixelated CdZnTe Detectors for Imaging Applications

PubMed Central

Yin, Yongzhi; Chen, Ximeng; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Garson, Alfred; Li, Qiang; Guo, Qingzhen; Krawczynski, Henric; Meng, Ling-Jian; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2016-01-01

We are currently investigating the feasibility of using highly pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors for sub-500 μm resolution PET imaging applications. A 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm CdZnTe substrate was fabricated with 350 μm pitch pixels (250 μm anode pixels with 100 μm gap) and coplanar cathode. Charge sharing among the pixels of a 350 μm pitch detector was studied using collimated 122 keV and 511 keV gamma ray sources. For a 350 μm pitch CdZnTe detector, scatter plots of the charge signal of two neighboring pixels clearly show more charge sharing when the collimated beam hits the gap between adjacent pixels. Using collimated Co-57 and Ge-68 sources, we measured the count profiles and estimated the intrinsic spatial resolution of 350 μm pitch detector biased at −1000 V. Depth of interaction was analyzed based on two methods, i.e., cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time, in both 122 keV and 511 keV measurements. For single-pixel photopeak events, a linear correlation between cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time was shown, which would be useful for estimating the DOI information and preserving image resolution in CdZnTe PET imaging applications. PMID:28250476

Biological tissue imaging with a position and time sensitive pixelated detector.

PubMed

Jungmann, Julia H; Smith, Donald F; MacAleese, Luke; Klinkert, Ivo; Visser, Jan; Heeren, Ron M A

2012-10-01

We demonstrate the capabilities of a highly parallel, active pixel detector for large-area, mass spectrometric imaging of biological tissue sections. A bare Timepix assembly (512 × 512 pixels) is combined with chevron microchannel plates on an ion microscope matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF-MS). The detector assembly registers position- and time-resolved images of multiple m/z species in every measurement frame. We prove the applicability of the detection system to biomolecular mass spectrometry imaging on biologically relevant samples by mass-resolved images from Timepix measurements of a peptide-grid benchmark sample and mouse testis tissue slices. Mass-spectral and localization information of analytes at physiologic concentrations are measured in MALDI-TOF-MS imaging experiments. We show a high spatial resolution (pixel size down to 740 × 740 nm(2) on the sample surface) and a spatial resolving power of 6 μm with a microscope mode laser field of view of 100-335 μm. Automated, large-area imaging is demonstrated and the Timepix' potential for fast, large-area image acquisition is highlighted.

A kilo-pixel imaging system for future space based far-infrared observatories using microwave kinetic inductance detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baselmans, J. J. A.; Bueno, J.; Yates, S. J. C.; Yurduseven, O.; Llombart, N.; Karatsu, K.; Baryshev, A. M.; Ferrari, L.; Endo, A.; Thoen, D. J.; de Visser, P. J.; Janssen, R. M. J.; Murugesan, V.; Driessen, E. F. C.; Coiffard, G.; Martin-Pintado, J.; Hargrave, P.; Griffin, M.

2017-05-01

Aims: Future astrophysics and cosmic microwave background space missions operating in the far-infrared to millimetre part of the spectrum will require very large arrays of ultra-sensitive detectors in combination with high multiplexing factors and efficient low-noise and low-power readout systems. We have developed a demonstrator system suitable for such applications. Methods: The system combines a 961 pixel imaging array based upon Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) with a readout system capable of reading out all pixels simultaneously with only one readout cable pair and a single cryogenic amplifier. We evaluate, in a representative environment, the system performance in terms of sensitivity, dynamic range, optical efficiency, cosmic ray rejection, pixel-pixel crosstalk and overall yield at an observation centre frequency of 850 GHz and 20% fractional bandwidth. Results: The overall system has an excellent sensitivity, with an average detector sensitivity < NEPdet> =3×10-19 WHz measured using a thermal calibration source. At a loading power per pixel of 50 fW we demonstrate white, photon noise limited detector noise down to 300 mHz. The dynamic range would allow the detection of 1 Jy bright sources within the field of view without tuning the readout of the detectors. The expected dead time due to cosmic ray interactions, when operated in an L2 or a similar far-Earth orbit, is found to be <4%. Additionally, the achieved pixel yield is 83% and the crosstalk between the pixels is <-30 dB. Conclusions: This demonstrates that MKID technology can provide multiplexing ratios on the order of a 1000 with state-of-the-art single pixel performance, and that the technology is now mature enough to be considered for future space based observatories and experiments.

Tests of UFXC32k chip with CdTe pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maj, P.; Taguchi, T.; Nakaye, Y.

2018-02-01

The paper presents the performance of the UFXC32K—a hybrid pixel detector readout chip working with CdTe detectors. The UFXC32K has a pixel pitch of 75 μm and can cope with both input signal polarities. This functionality allows operating with widely used silicon sensors collecting holes and CdTe sensors collecting electrons. This article describes the chip focusing on solving the issues connected to high-Z sensor material, namely high leakage currents, slow charge collection time and thick material resulting in increased charge-sharring effects. The measurements were conducted with higher X-ray energies including 17.4 keV from molybdenum. Conclusions drawn inside the paper show the UFXC32K's usability for CdTe sensors in high X-ray energy applications.

Integrated readout electronics for Belle II pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco, R.; Leys, R.; Perić, I.

2018-03-01

This paper describes the readout components for Belle II that have been designed as integrated circuits. The ICs are connected to DEPFET sensor by bump bonding. Three types of ICs have been developed: SWITCHER for pixel matrix control, DCD for readout and digitizing of sensor signals and DHP for digital data processing. The ICs are radiation tolerant and use several novel features, such as the multiple-input differential amplifiers and the fast and radiation hard high-voltage drivers. SWITCHER and DCD have been developed at University of Heidelberg, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and DHP at Bonn University. The IC-development started in 2009 and was accomplished in 2016 with the submissions of final designs. The final ICs for Belle II pixel detector and the related measurement results will be presented in this contribution.

Fully 3D-Integrated Pixel Detectors for X-Rays

DOE PAGES

Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Gabriella, Carini; Enquist, Paul; ...

2016-01-01

The vertically integrated photon imaging chip (VIPIC1) pixel detector is a stack consisting of a 500-μm-thick silicon sensor, a two-tier 34-μm-thick integrated circuit, and a host printed circuit board (PCB). The integrated circuit tiers were bonded using the direct bonding technology with copper, and each tier features 1-μm-diameter through-silicon vias that were used for connections to the sensor on one side, and to the host PCB on the other side. The 80-μm-pixel-pitch sensor was the direct bonding technology with nickel bonded to the integrated circuit. The stack was mounted on the board using Sn–Pb balls placed on a 320-μm pitch,more » yielding an entirely wire-bond-less structure. The analog front-end features a pulse response peaking at below 250 ns, and the power consumption per pixel is 25 μW. We successful completed the 3-D integration and have reported here. Additionally, all pixels in the matrix of 64 × 64 pixels were responding on well-bonded devices. Correct operation of the sparsified readout, allowing a single 153-ns bunch timing resolution, was confirmed in the tests on a synchrotron beam of 10-keV X-rays. An equivalent noise charge of 36.2 e - rms and a conversion gain of 69.5 μV/e - with 2.6 e - rms and 2.7 μV/e - rms pixel-to-pixel variations, respectively, were measured.« less

Pixel CdTe semiconductor module to implement a sub-MeV imaging detector for astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gálvez, J.-L.; Hernanz, M.; Álvarez, L.; Artigues, B.; Álvarez, J.-M.; Ullán, M.; Pellegrini, G.; Lozano, M.; Cabruja, E.; Martínez, R.; Chmeissani, M.; Puigdengoles, C.

2017-03-01

Stellar explosions are relevant and interesting astrophysical phenomena. Since long ago we have been working on the characterization of nova and supernova explosions in X and gamma rays, with the use of space missions such as INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton and Swift. We have been also involved in feasibility studies of future instruments in the energy range from several keV up to a few MeV, in collaboration with other research institutes, such as GRI, DUAL and e-ASTROGAM. High sensitivities are essential to perform detailed studies of cosmic explosions and cosmic accelerators, e.g., Supernovae, Classical Novae, Supernova Remnants (SNRs), Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). In order to fulfil the combined requirement of high detection efficiency with good spatial and energy resolution, an initial module prototype based on CdTe pixel detectors is being developed. The detector dimensions are 12.5mm x 12.5mm x 2mm, with a pixel pitch of 1mm x 1mm. Each pixel is bump bonded to a fanout board made of Sapphire substrate and routed to the corresponding input channel of the readout ASIC, to measure pixel position and pulse height for each incident gamma-ray photon. An ohmic CdTe pixel detector has been characterised by means of 57Co, 133Ba and 22Na sources. Based on this, its spectroscopic performance and the influence of charge sharing is reported here. The pixel study is complemented by the simulation of the CdTe module performance using the GEANT 4 and MEGALIB tools, which will help us to optimise the pixel size selection.

Verification of Dosimetry Measurements with Timepix Pixel Detectors for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kroupa, M.; Pinsky, L. S.; Idarraga-Munoz, J.; Hoang, S. M.; Semones, E.; Bahadori, A.; Stoffle, N.; Rios, R.; Vykydal, Z.; Jakubek, J.;

Physical characterization and performance comparison of active- and passive-pixel CMOS detectors for mammography.

PubMed

Elbakri, I A; McIntosh, B J; Rickey, D W

2009-03-21

We investigated the physical characteristics of two complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) mammography detectors. The detectors featured 14-bit image acquisition, 50 microm detector element (del) size and an active area of 5 cm x 5 cm. One detector was a passive-pixel sensor (PPS) with signal amplification performed by an array of amplifiers connected to dels via data lines. The other detector was an active-pixel sensor (APS) with signal amplification performed at each del. Passive-pixel designs have higher read noise due to data line capacitance, and the APS represents an attempt to improve the noise performance of this technology. We evaluated the detectors' resolution by measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF) using a tilted edge. We measured the noise power spectra (NPS) and detective quantum efficiencies (DQE) using mammographic beam conditions specified by the IEC 62220-1-2 standard. Our measurements showed the APS to have much higher gain, slightly higher MTF, and higher NPS. The MTF of both sensors approached 10% near the Nyquist limit. DQE values near dc frequency were in the range of 55-67%, with the APS sensor DQE lower than the PPS DQE for all frequencies. Our results show that lower read noise specifications in this case do not translate into gains in the imaging performance of the sensor. We postulate that the lower fill factor of the APS is a possible cause for this result.

Performance comparison of small-pixel CdZnTe radiation detectors with gold contacts formed by sputter and electroless deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, S. J.; Baker, M. A.; Duarte, D. D.; Schneider, A.; Seller, P.; Sellin, P. J.; Veale, M. C.; Wilson, M. D.

2017-06-01

Recent improvements in the growth of wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT), has enabled spectroscopic X/γ-ray imaging detectors to be developed. These detectors have applications covering homeland security, industrial analysis, space science and medical imaging. At the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) a promising range of spectroscopic, position sensitive, small-pixel Cd(Zn)Te detectors have been developed. The challenge now is to improve the quality of metal contacts on CdZnTe in order to meet the demanding energy and spatial resolution requirements of these applications. The choice of metal deposition method and fabrication process are of fundamental importance. Presented is a comparison of two CdZnTe detectors with contacts formed by sputter and electroless deposition. The detectors were fabricated with a 74 × 74 array of 200 μm pixels on a 250 μm pitch and bump-bonded to the HEXITEC ASIC. The X/γ-ray emissions from an 241Am source were measured to form energy spectra for comparison. It was found that the detector with contacts formed by electroless deposition produced the best uniformity and energy resolution; the best pixel produced a FWHM of 560 eV at 59.54 keV and 50% of pixels produced a FWHM better than 1.7 keV . This compared with a FWHM of 1.5 keV for the best pixel and 50% of pixels better than 4.4 keV for the detector with sputtered contacts.

Charge Loss and Charge Sharing Measurements for Two Different Pixelated Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica; Sharma, Dharma; Ramsey, Brian; Seller, Paul

2003-01-01

As part of ongoing research at Marshall Space Flight Center, Cadmium-Zinc- Telluride (CdZnTe) pixilated detectors are being developed for use at the focal plane of the High Energy Replicated Optics (HERO) telescope. HERO requires a 64x64 pixel array with a spatial resolution of around 200 microns (with a 6m focal length) and high energy resolution (< 2% at 60keV). We are currently testing smaller arrays as a necessary first step towards this goal. In this presentation, we compare charge sharing and charge loss measurements between two devices that differ both electronically and geometrically. The first device consists of a 1-mm-thick piece of CdZnTe that is sputtered with a 4x4 array of pixels with pixel pitch of 750 microns (inter-pixel gap is 100 microns). The signal is read out using discrete ultra-low-noise preamplifiers, one for each of the 16 pixels. The second detector consists of a 2-mm-thick piece of CdZnTe that is sputtered with a 16x16 array of pixels with a pixel pitch of 300 microns (inter-pixel gap is 50 microns). Instead of using discrete preamplifiers, the crystal is bonded to an ASIC that provides all of the front-end electronics to each of the 256 pixels. what degree the bias voltage (i.e. the electric field) and hence the drift and diffusion coefficients affect our measurements. Further, we compare the measured results with simulated results and discuss to

A semiconductor radiation imaging pixel detector for space radiation dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroupa, Martin; Bahadori, Amir; Campbell-Ricketts, Thomas; Empl, Anton; Hoang, Son Minh; Idarraga-Munoz, John; Rios, Ryan; Semones, Edward; Stoffle, Nicholas; Tlustos, Lukas; Turecek, Daniel; Pinsky, Lawrence

2015-07-01

Progress in the development of high-performance semiconductor radiation imaging pixel detectors based on technologies developed for use in high-energy physics applications has enabled the development of a completely new generation of compact low-power active dosimeters and area monitors for use in space radiation environments. Such detectors can provide real-time information concerning radiation exposure, along with detailed analysis of the individual particles incident on the active medium. Recent results from the deployment of detectors based on the Timepix from the CERN-based Medipix2 Collaboration on the International Space Station (ISS) are reviewed, along with a glimpse of developments to come. Preliminary results from Orion MPCV Exploration Flight Test 1 are also presented.

A new data acquisition system for the CMS Phase 1 pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornmayer, A.

2016-12-01

A new pixel detector will be installed in the CMS experiment during the extended technical stop of the LHC at the beginning of 2017. The new pixel detector, built from four layers in the barrel region and three layers on each end of the forward region, is equipped with upgraded front-end readout electronics, specifically designed to handle the high particle hit rates created in the LHC environment. The DAQ back-end was entirely redesigned to handle the increased number of readout channels, the higher data rates per channel and the new digital data format. Based entirely on the microTCA standard, new front-end controller (FEC) and front-end driver (FED) cards have been developed, prototyped and produced with custom optical link mezzanines mounted on the FC7 AMC and custom firmware. At the same time as the new detector is being assembled, the DAQ system is set up and its integration into the CMS central DAQ system tested by running the pilot blade detector already installed in CMS. This work describes the DAQ system, integration tests and gives an outline for the activities up to commissioning the final system at CMS in 2017.

Results from a 64-pixel PIN-diode detector system for low-energy beta-electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wuestling, Sascha; Fraenkle, F.; Habermehl, F.; Renschler, P.; Steidl, M.

2010-12-01

The KATRIN neutrino mass experiment is based on a precise energy measurement (Δ E/ E=5×10 -5) of electrons emerging from tritium beta decay ( Emax=18.6 keV). This is done by a large electrostatic retarding spectrometer (MAC-E Filter), which is followed by an electron detector. Key requirements for this detector are a large sensitive area (˜80 cm 2), a certain energy resolution (Δ E=600 eV @ 18.6 keV) but also a certain spatial resolution (˜3 mm), which leads to a multi-pixel design. As a tentative design on the way to the final detector, but also for operational service on the so-called pre-spectrometer experiment, a detector system with a reduced size (16 cm 2) and a reduced pixel number (64), making use of a monolithic segmented silicon PIN diode, was designed and built. While the design and very first measurements have been presented in Wuestling et al. [6], this publication shows the operational performance of the detector system. The robust concept of the electronics allowed adaptation to mechanically different experimental setups. The spacial resolution of the detector system proved to be essential in examining Penning trap induced background and other effects in the pre-spectrometer experiment. The detector performance test runs include energy resolution and calibration, background rates, correlation between pixels (crosstalk), spatially resolved rate analysis, and a dead-layer measurement [7]. The detector allows for background searches with a sensitivity as low as 1.3×10 -3 cps/cm 2 in the energy range of 20 keV. This allows the pre-spectrometer to be characterized with e-gun illumination with a signal to background ratio of better than 10 5 and the search for ultra low Penning discharge emissions.

Nonlinearity and pixel shifting effects in HXRG infrared detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plazas, A. A.; Shapiro, C.; Smith, R.; Rhodes, J.; Huff, E.

2017-04-01

We study the nonlinearity (NL) in the conversion from charge to voltage in infrared detectors (HXRG) for use in precision astronomy. We present laboratory measurements of the NL function of a H2RG detector and discuss the accuracy to which it would need to be calibrated in future space missions to perform cosmological measurements through the weak gravitational lensing technique. In addition, we present an analysis of archival data from the infrared H1RG detector of the Wide Field Camera 3 in the Hubble Space Telescope that provides evidence consistent with the existence of a sensor effect analogous to the ``brighter-fatter'' effect found in Charge-Coupled Devices. We propose a model in which this effect could be understood as shifts in the effective pixel boundaries, and discuss prospects of laboratory measurements to fully characterize this effect.

Introducing a non-pixelated and fast centre of mass detector for differential phase contrast microscopy.

PubMed

Schwarzhuber, Felix; Melzl, Peter; Pöllath, Simon; Zweck, Josef

2018-06-10

With the advent of probe corrected STEM machines it became possible to probe specimens on a scale of less than 50 pm resolution. This opens completely new horizons for research, as it is e.g. possible to probe the electrostatic fields between individual rows of atoms, using differential phase contrast (DPC). However, in contrast to conventional DPC, where one deals with extended fields which can be assumed constant across the electron probe, this is not possible for sub-atomic probes in DPC. For the latter case it was shown [1,2], that the strongly inhomogeneous field distribution within the probe diameter, which usually is caused by the nuclear potentials of an atomic column, leads to a complicated intensity redistribution within the diffraction disk. The task is then to determine the intensity weighted centre of the diffraction disk pattern (frequently also called centre of mass, COM), which is proportional to the average lateral momentum gained by the average electron, transmitted through the probe diameter. In first reported measurements, the determination of this COM was achieved using a pixelated detector in combination with a software-based evaluation of the COM. This suffers from two disadvantages: first, the nowadays available pixelated detectors are still not very fast (approximately 1000 fps) and quite expensive, and second, the amount of data to be processed after acquisition is comparatively huge. In this paper we report on an alternative to a pixelated detector, which is able to directly deliver the COM of a diffraction disk's intensity distribution with frequencies up to 200 kHz. We present measurements on the sensitivity of this detector as well as first results from DPC imaging. From these results we expect the detector also to serve well in sub-atomic DPC field sensing, possibly replacing today's segmented or pixelated detectors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PantherPix hybrid pixel γ-ray detector for radio-therapeutic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neue, G.; Benka, T.; Havránek, M.; Hejtmánek, M.; Janoška, Z.; Kafka, V.; Korchak, O.; Lednický, D.; Marčišovská, M.; Marčišovský, M.; Popule, J.; Şmarhák, J.; Şvihra, P.; Tomášek, L.; Vrba, V.; Konček, O.; Semmler, M.

2018-02-01

This work focuses on the design of a semiconductor pixelated γ-ray camera with a pixel size of 1 mm2. The cost of semiconductor manufacturing is mainly driven by economies of scale, which makes silicon the cheapest semiconductor material due to its widespread utilization. The energy of γ-photons used in radiation therapy are in a range, in which the dominant interaction mechanism is Compton scattering in every conceivable sensor material. Since the Compton scattering cross section is linearly dependent upon Z, it is less rewarding to utilize high Z sensor materials, than it is in the case of X-ray detectors (X-rays interact also via the photoelectric effect whose cross section scales proportional to Zn, where n is ≈ 4,5). For the stated reasons it was decided to use the low Z material silicon (Z = 14) despite its worse detection efficiency. The proposed detector is designed as a portal detector to be used in radiation cancer therapy. The purpose of the detector is to ensure correct patient alignment, spatial dose monitoring and to provide the feedback necessary for an emergency shutdown should the spatial dose rate profile deviate from the treatment plan. Radiation therapy equipment is complex and thus failure prone and the consequences of malfunction are often life threatening. High spatial resolution and high detection efficiency are not a high design priority. The detector design priorities are focused up on radiation hardness, robustness and the ability to cover a large area cost efficiently. The quintessential idea of the PanterPix detector exploits the relaxed spatial resolution requirement to achieve the stated goals. The detector is composed of submodules, each submodule consisting of a Si sensor with an array of fully depleted detection diodes and 8 miniature custom design readout ASICs collecting and measuring the minuscule charge packets generated due to ionization in the PN junctions.

Large Area Cd0.9Zn0.1Te Pixelated Detector: Fabrication and Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, Sandeep K.; Nguyen, Khai; Pak, Rahmi O.; Matei, Liviu; Buliga, Vladimir; Groza, Michael; Burger, Arnold; Mandal, Krishna C.

2014-04-01

Cd0.9Zn0.1Te (CZT) based pixelated radiation detectors have been fabricated and characterized for gamma ray detection. Large area CZT single crystals has been grown using a tellurium solvent method. A 10 ×10 guarded pixelated detector has been fabricated on a 19.5 ×19.5 ×5 mm3 crystal cut out from the grown ingot. The pixel dimensions were 1.3 ×1.3 mm2 and were pitched at 1.8 mm. A guard grid was used to reduce interpixel/inter-electrode leakage. The crystal was characterized in planar configuration using electrical, optical and optoelectronic methods prior to the fabrication of pixelated geometry. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements revealed a leakage current of 27 nA at an operating bias voltage of 1000 V and a resistivity of 3.1 ×1010 Ω-cm. Infrared transmission imaging revealed an average tellurium inclusion/precipitate size less than 8 μm. Pockels measurement has revealed a near-uniform depth-wise distribution of the internal electric field. The mobility-lifetime product in this crystal was calculated to be 6.2 ×10 - 3 cm2/V using alpha ray spectroscopic method. Gamma spectroscopy using a 137Cs source on the pixelated structure showed fully resolved 662 keV gamma peaks for all the pixels, with percentage resolution (FWHM) as high as 1.8%.

Charge Gain, Voltage Gain, and Node Capacitance of the SAPHIRA Detector Pixel by Pixel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastrana, Izabella M.; Hall, Donald N. B.; Baker, Ian M.; Jacobson, Shane M.; Goebel, Sean B.

2018-01-01

The University of Hawai`i Institute for Astronomy has partnered with Leonardo (formerly Selex) in the development of HgCdTe linear mode avalanche photodiode (L-APD) SAPHIRA detectors. The SAPHIRA (Selex Avalanche Photodiode High-speed Infra-Red Array) is ideally suited for photon-starved astronomical observations, particularly near infrared (NIR) adaptive optics (AO) wave-front sensing. I have measured the stability, and linearity with current, of a 1.7-um (10% spectral bandpass) infrared light emitting diode (IR LED) used to illuminate the SAPHIRA and have then utilized this source to determine the charge gain (in e-/ADU), voltage gain (in uV/ADU), and node capacitance (in fF) for each pixel of the 320x256@24um SAPHIRA. These have previously only been averages over some sub-array. Determined from the ratio of the temporal averaged signal level to variance under constant 1.7-um LED illumination, I present the charge gain pixel-by-pixel in a 64x64 sub-array at the center of the active area of the SAPHIRA (analyzed separately as four 32x32 sub-arrays) to be about 1.6 e-/ADU (σ=0.5 e-/ADU). Additionally, the standard technique of varying the pixel reset voltage (PRV) in 10 mV increments and recording output frames for the same 64x64 subarray found the voltage gain per pixel to be about 11.7 uV/ADU (σ=0.2 uV/ADU). Finally, node capacitance was found to be approximately 23 fF (σ=6 fF) utilizing the aforementioned charge and voltage gain measurements. I further discuss the linearity measurements of the 1.7-um LED used in the charge gain characterization procedure.

Coloured computational imaging with single-pixel detectors based on a 2D discrete cosine transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bao-Lei; Yang, Zhao-Hua; Liu, Xia; Wu, Ling-An

2017-02-01

We propose and demonstrate a computational imaging technique that uses structured illumination based on a two-dimensional discrete cosine transform to perform imaging with a single-pixel detector. A scene is illuminated by a projector with two sets of orthogonal patterns, then by applying an inverse cosine transform to the spectra obtained from the single-pixel detector a full-colour image is retrieved. This technique can retrieve an image from sub-Nyquist measurements, and the background noise is easily cancelled to give excellent image quality. Moreover, the experimental set-up is very simple.

Charge amplitude distribution of the Gossip gaseous pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco Carballo, V. M.; Chefdeville, M.; Colas, P.; Giomataris, Y.; van der Graaf, H.; Gromov, V.; Hartjes, F.; Kluit, R.; Koffeman, E.; Salm, C.; Schmitz, J.; Smits, S. M.; Timmermans, J.; Visschers, J. L.

2007-12-01

The Gossip gaseous pixel detector is being developed for the detection of charged particles in extreme high radiation environments as foreseen close to the interaction point of the proposed super LHC. The detecting medium is a thin layer of gas. Because of the low density of this medium, only a few primary electron/ion pairs are created by the traversing particle. To get a detectable signal, the electrons drift towards a perforated metal foil (Micromegas) whereafter they are multiplied in a gas avalanche to provide a detectable signal. The gas avalanche occurs in the high field between the Micromegas and the pixel readout chip (ROC). Compared to a silicon pixel detector, Gossip features a low material budget and a low cooling power. An experiment using X-rays has indicated a possible high radiation tolerance exceeding 10 16 hadrons/cm 2. The amplified charge signal has a broad amplitude distribution due to the limited statistics of the primary ionization and the statistical variation of the gas amplification. Therefore, some degree of inefficiency is inevitable. This study presents experimental results on the charge amplitude distribution for CO 2/DME (dimethyl-ether) and Ar/iC 4H 10 mixtures. The measured curves were fitted with the outcome of a theoretical model. In the model, the physical Landau distribution is approximated by a Poisson distribution that is convoluted with the variation of the gas gain and the electronic noise. The value for the fraction of pedestal events is used for a direct calculation of the cluster density. For some gases, the measured cluster density is considerably lower than given in literature.

Conception and characterization of a virtual coplanar grid for a 11×11 pixelated CZT detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espagnet, Romain; Frezza, Andrea; Martin, Jean-Pierre; Hamel, Louis-André; Després, Philippe

2017-07-01

Due to the low mobility of holes in CZT, commercially available detectors with a relatively large volume typically use a pixelated anode structure. They are mostly used in imaging applications and often require a dense electronic readout scheme. These large volume detectors are also interesting for high-sensitivity applications and a CZT-based blood gamma counter was developed from a 20×20×15 mm3 crystal available commercially and having a 11×11 pixelated readout scheme. A method is proposed here to reduce the number of channels required to use the crystal in a high-sensitivity counting application, dedicated to pharmacokinetic modelling in PET and SPECT. Inspired by a classic coplanar anode, an implementation of a virtual coplanar grid was done by connecting the 121 pixels of the detector to form intercalated bands. The layout, the front-end electronics and the characterization of the detector in this 2-channel anode geometry is presented. The coefficients required to compensate for electron trapping in CZT were determined experimentally to improve the performance. The resulting virtual coplanar detector has an intrinsic efficiency of 34% and an energy resolution of 8% at 662 keV. The detector's response was linear between 80 keV and 1372 keV. This suggests that large CZT crystals offer an excellent alternative to scintillation detectors for some applications, especially those where high-sensitivity and compactness are required.

A semiconductor radiation imaging pixel detector for space radiation dosimetry.

PubMed

Kroupa, Martin; Bahadori, Amir; Campbell-Ricketts, Thomas; Empl, Anton; Hoang, Son Minh; Idarraga-Munoz, John; Rios, Ryan; Semones, Edward; Stoffle, Nicholas; Tlustos, Lukas; Turecek, Daniel; Pinsky, Lawrence

2015-07-01

Progress in the development of high-performance semiconductor radiation imaging pixel detectors based on technologies developed for use in high-energy physics applications has enabled the development of a completely new generation of compact low-power active dosimeters and area monitors for use in space radiation environments. Such detectors can provide real-time information concerning radiation exposure, along with detailed analysis of the individual particles incident on the active medium. Recent results from the deployment of detectors based on the Timepix from the CERN-based Medipix2 Collaboration on the International Space Station (ISS) are reviewed, along with a glimpse of developments to come. Preliminary results from Orion MPCV Exploration Flight Test 1 are also presented. Copyright © 2015 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). All rights reserved.

Digital radiology using active matrix readout: amplified pixel detector array for fluoroscopy.

PubMed

Matsuura, N; Zhao, W; Huang, Z; Rowlands, J A

1999-05-01

Active matrix array technology has made possible the concept of flat panel imaging systems for radiography. In the conventional approach a thin-film circuit built on glass contains the necessary switching components (thin-film transistors or TFTs) to readout an image formed in either a phosphor or photoconductor layer. Extension of this concept to real time imaging--fluoroscopy--has had problems due to the very low noise required. A new design strategy for fluoroscopic active matrix flat panel detectors has therefore been investigated theoretically. In this approach, the active matrix has integrated thin-film amplifiers and readout electronics at each pixel and is called the amplified pixel detector array (APDA). Each amplified pixel consists of three thin-film transistors: an amplifier, a readout, and a reset TFT. The performance of the APDA approach compared to the conventional active matrix was investigated for two semiconductors commonly used to construct active matrix arrays--hydrogenated amorphous silicon and polycrystalline silicon. The results showed that with amplification close to the pixel, the noise from the external charge preamplifiers becomes insignificant. The thermal and flicker noise of the readout and the amplifying TFTs at the pixel become the dominant sources of noise. The magnitude of these noise sources is strongly dependent on the TFT geometry and its fabrication process. Both of these could be optimized to make the APDA active matrix operate at lower noise levels than is possible with the conventional approach. However, the APDA cannot be made to operate ideally (i.e., have noise limited only by the amount of radiation used) at the lowest exposure rate required in medical fluoroscopy.

Characterisation of irradiated thin silicon sensors for the CMS phase II pixel upgrade

DOE PAGES

Adam, W.; Bergauer, T.; Brondolin, E.; ...

2017-08-22

The high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, foreseen for 2026, necessitates the replacement of the CMS experiment’s silicon tracker. The innermost layer of the new pixel detector will be exposed to severe radiation, corresponding to a 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence of up tomore » $$\\Phi _{eq} = 2 \\times 10^{16}$$  cm$$^{-2}$$ , and an ionising dose of $${\\approx } 5$$  MGy after an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb$$^{-1}$$ . Thin, planar silicon sensors are good candidates for this application, since the degradation of the signal produced by traversing particles is less severe than for thicker devices. Here in this article, the results obtained from the characterisation of 100 and 200 μm thick p-bulk pad diodes and strip sensors irradiated up to fluences of $$\\Phi _{eq} = 1.3 \\times 10^{16}$$  cm$$^{-2}$$ are shown.« less

Comparison of high resolution x-ray detectors with conventional FPDs using experimental MTFs and apodized aperture pixel design for reduced aliasing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shankar, A.; Russ, M.; Vijayan, S.; Bednarek, D. R.; Rudin, S.

2017-03-01

Apodized Aperture Pixel (AAP) design, proposed by Ismailova et.al, is an alternative to the conventional pixel design. The advantages of AAP processing with a sinc filter in comparison with using other filters include non-degradation of MTF values and elimination of signal and noise aliasing, resulting in an increased performance at higher frequencies, approaching the Nyquist frequency. If high resolution small field-of-view (FOV) detectors with small pixels used during critical stages of Endovascular Image Guided Interventions (EIGIs) could also be extended to cover a full field-of-view typical of flat panel detectors (FPDs) and made to have larger effective pixels, then methods must be used to preserve the MTF over the frequency range up to the Nyquist frequency of the FPD while minimizing aliasing. In this work, we convolve the experimentally measured MTFs of an Microangiographic Fluoroscope (MAF) detector, (the MAF-CCD with 35μm pixels) and a High Resolution Fluoroscope (HRF) detector (HRF-CMOS50 with 49.5μm pixels) with the AAP filter and show the superiority of the results compared to MTFs resulting from moving average pixel binning and to the MTF of a standard FPD. The effect of using AAP is also shown in the spatial domain, when used to image an infinitely small point object. For detectors in neurovascular interventions, where high resolution is the priority during critical parts of the intervention, but full FOV with larger pixels are needed during less critical parts, AAP design provides an alternative to simple pixel binning while effectively eliminating signal and noise aliasing yet allowing the small FOV high resolution imaging to be maintained during critical parts of the EIGI.

Using a pulsed laser beam to investigate the feasibility of sub-pixel position resolution with time-correlated transient signals in 3D pixelated CdZnTe detectors

DOE PAGES

Giraldo, L. Ocampo; Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; ...

2017-04-20

For this study, we evaluated the X-Y position resolution achievable in 3D pixelated detectors by processing the signal waveforms readout from neighboring pixels. In these measurements we used a focused light beam, down to 10 μm, generated by a ~1 mW pulsed laser (650 nm) to carry out raster scans over selected 3×3 pixel areas, while recording the charge signals from the 9 pixels and the cathode using two synchronized digital oscilloscopes.

High-speed femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with a smart pixel detector array.

PubMed

Bourquin, S; Prasankumar, R P; Kärtner, F X; Fujimoto, J G; Lasser, T; Salathé, R P

2003-09-01

A new femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy technique is demonstrated that permits the high-speed, parallel acquisition of pump-probe measurements at multiple wavelengths. This is made possible by use of a novel, two-dimensional smart pixel detector array that performs amplitude demodulation in real time on each pixel. This detector array can not only achieve sensitivities comparable with lock-in amplification but also simultaneously performs demodulation of probe transmission signals at multiple wavelengths, thus permitting rapid time- and wavelength-resolved femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. Measurements on a thin sample of bulk GaAs are performed across 58 simultaneous wavelengths. Differential probe transmission changes as small as approximately 2 x 10(-4) can be measured over a 5-ps delay scan in only approximately 3 min. This technology can be applied to a wide range of pump-probe measurements in condensed matter, chemistry, and biology.

Polarimetric analysis of a CdZnTe spectro-imager under multi-pixel irradiation conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinto, M.; da Silva, R. M. Curado; Maia, J. M.; Simões, N.; Marques, J.; Pereira, L.; Trindade, A. M. F.; Caroli, E.; Auricchio, N.; Stephen, J. B.; Gonçalves, P.

2016-12-01

So far, polarimetry in high-energy astrophysics has been insufficiently explored due to the complexity of the required detection, electronic and signal processing systems. However, its importance is today largely recognized by the astrophysical community, therefore the next generation of high-energy space instruments will certainly provide polarimetric observations, contemporaneously with spectroscopy and imaging. We have been participating in high-energy observatory proposals submitted to ESA Cosmic Vision calls, such as GRI (Gamma-Ray Imager), DUAL and ASTROGAM, where the main instrument was a spectro-imager with polarimetric capabilities. More recently, the H2020 AHEAD project was launched with the objective to promote more coherent and mature future high-energy space mission proposals. In this context of high-energy proposal development, we have tested a CdZnTe detection plane prototype polarimeter under a partially polarized gamma-ray beam generated from an aluminum target irradiated by a 22Na (511 keV) radioactive source. The polarized beam cross section was 1 cm2, allowing the irradiation of a wide multi-pixelated area where all the pixels operate simultaneously as a scatterer and as an absorber. The methods implemented to analyze such multi-pixel irradiation are similar to those required to analyze a spectro-imager polarimeter operating in space, since celestial source photons should irradiate its full pixilated area. Correction methods to mitigate systematic errors inherent to CdZnTe and to the experimental conditions were also implemented. The polarization level ( 40%) and the polarization angle (precision of ±5° up to ±9°) obtained under multi-pixel irradiation conditions are presented and compared with simulated data.

Study of prototypes of LFoundry active CMOS pixels sensors for the ATLAS detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vigani, L.; Bortoletto, D.; Ambroz, L.; Plackett, R.; Hemperek, T.; Rymaszewski, P.; Wang, T.; Krueger, H.; Hirono, T.; Caicedo Sierra, I.; Wermes, N.; Barbero, M.; Bhat, S.; Breugnon, P.; Chen, Z.; Godiot, S.; Pangaud, P.; Rozanov, A.

2018-02-01

Current high energy particle physics experiments at the LHC use hybrid silicon detectors, in both pixel and strip configurations, for their inner trackers. These detectors have proven to be very reliable and performant. Nevertheless, there is great interest in depleted CMOS silicon detectors, which could achieve a similar performance at lower cost of production. We present recent developments of this technology in the framework of the ATLAS CMOS demonstrator project. In particular, studies of two active sensors from LFoundry, CCPD_LF and LFCPIX, are shown.

High-dynamic-range coherent diffractive imaging: ptychography using the mixed-mode pixel array detector.

PubMed

Giewekemeyer, Klaus; Philipp, Hugh T; Wilke, Robin N; Aquila, Andrew; Osterhoff, Markus; Tate, Mark W; Shanks, Katherine S; Zozulya, Alexey V; Salditt, Tim; Gruner, Sol M; Mancuso, Adrian P

2014-09-01

Coherent (X-ray) diffractive imaging (CDI) is an increasingly popular form of X-ray microscopy, mainly due to its potential to produce high-resolution images and the lack of an objective lens between the sample and its corresponding imaging detector. One challenge, however, is that very high dynamic range diffraction data must be collected to produce both quantitative and high-resolution images. In this work, hard X-ray ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging has been performed at the P10 beamline of the PETRA III synchrotron to demonstrate the potential of a very wide dynamic range imaging X-ray detector (the Mixed-Mode Pixel Array Detector, or MM-PAD). The detector is capable of single photon detection, detecting fluxes exceeding 1 × 10(8) 8-keV photons pixel(-1) s(-1), and framing at 1 kHz. A ptychographic reconstruction was performed using a peak focal intensity on the order of 1 × 10(10) photons µm(-2) s(-1) within an area of approximately 325 nm × 603 nm. This was done without need of a beam stop and with a very modest attenuation, while `still' images of the empty beam far-field intensity were recorded without any attenuation. The treatment of the detector frames and CDI methodology for reconstruction of non-sensitive detector regions, partially also extending the active detector area, are described.

Efficient phase contrast imaging in STEM using a pixelated detector. Part 1: Experimental demonstration at atomic resolution

DOE PAGES

Pennycook, Timothy J.; Lupini, Andrew R.; Yang, Hao; ...

2014-10-15

In this paper, we demonstrate a method to achieve high efficiency phase contrast imaging in aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with a pixelated detector. The pixelated detector is used to record the Ronchigram as a function of probe position which is then analyzed with ptychography. Ptychography has previously been used to provide super-resolution beyond the diffraction limit of the optics, alongside numerically correcting for spherical aberration. Here we rely on a hardware aberration corrector to eliminate aberrations, but use the pixelated detector data set to utilize the largest possible volume of Fourier space to create high efficiency phasemore » contrast images. The use of ptychography to diagnose the effects of chromatic aberration is also demonstrated. In conclusion, the four dimensional dataset is used to compare different bright field detector configurations from the same scan for a sample of bilayer graphene. Our method of high efficiency ptychography produces the clearest images, while annular bright field produces almost no contrast for an in-focus aberration-corrected probe.« less

Measurements and simulations of MAPS (Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors) response to charged particles - a study towards a vertex detector at the ILC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maczewski, Lukasz

2010-05-01

The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a project of an electron-positron (e+e-) linear collider with the centre-of-mass energy of 200-500 GeV. Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) are one of the proposed silicon pixel detector concepts for the ILC vertex detector (VTX). Basic characteristics of two MAPS pixel matrices MIMOSA-5 (17 μm pixel pitch) and MIMOSA-18 (10 μm pixel pitch) are studied and compared (pedestals, noises, calibration of the ADC-to-electron conversion gain, detector efficiency and charge collection properties). The e+e- collisions at the ILC will be accompanied by intense beamsstrahlung background of electrons and positrons hitting inner planes of the vertex detector. Tracks of this origin leave elongated clusters contrary to those of secondary hadrons. Cluster characteristics and orientation with respect to the pixels netting are studied for perpendicular and inclined tracks. Elongation and precision of determining the cluster orientation as a function of the angle of incidence were measured. A simple model of signal formation (based on charge diffusion) is proposed and tested using the collected data.

Characterisation of novel thin n-in-p planar pixel modules for the ATLAS Inner Tracker upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, J.-C.; La Rosa, A.; Macchiolo, A.; Nisius, R.; Savic, N.; Taibah, R.

2018-01-01

In view of the high luminosity phase of the LHC (HL-LHC) to start operation around 2026, a major upgrade of the tracker system for the ATLAS experiment is in preparation. The expected neutron equivalent fluence of up to 2.4×1016 1 MeV neq./cm2 at the innermost layer of the pixel detector poses the most severe challenge. Thanks to their low material budget and high charge collection efficiency after irradiation, modules made of thin planar pixel sensors are promising candidates to instrument these layers. To optimise the sensor layout for the decreased pixel cell size of 50×50 μm2, TCAD device simulations are being performed to investigate the charge collection efficiency before and after irradiation. In addition, sensors of 100-150 μm thickness, interconnected to FE-I4 read-out chips featuring the previous generation pixel cell size of 50×250 μm2, are characterised with testbeams at the CERN-SPS and DESY facilities. The performance of sensors with various designs, irradiated up to a fluence of 1×1016 neq./cm2, is compared in terms of charge collection and hit efficiency. A replacement of the two innermost pixel layers is foreseen during the lifetime of HL-LHC . The replacement will require several months of intervention, during which the remaining detector modules cannot be cooled. They are kept at room temperature, thus inducing an annealing. The performance of irradiated modules will be investigated with testbeam campaigns and the method of accelerated annealing at higher temperatures.

Prototypes and system test stands for the Phase 1 upgrade of the CMS pixel detector

DOE PAGES

Hasegawa, S.

2016-04-23

The CMS pixel phase-1 upgrade project replaces the current pixel detector with an upgraded system with faster readout electronics during the extended year-end technical stop of 2016/2017. New electronics prototypes for the system have been developed, and tests in a realistic environment for a comprehensive evaluation are needed. A full readout test stand with either the same hardware as used in the current CMS pixel detector or the latest prototypes of upgrade electronics has been built. The setup enables the observation and investigation of a jitter increase in the data line associated with trigger rate increases. This effect is duemore » to the way in which the clock and trigger distribution is implemented in CMS. A new prototype of the electronics with a PLL based on a voltage controlled quartz crystal oscillator (QPLL), which works as jitter filter, in the clock distribution path was produced. With the test stand, it was confirmed that the jitter increase is not seen with the prototype, and also good performance was confirmed at the expected detector operation temperature ($-$20 °C).« less

Characterisation of the high dynamic range Large Pixel Detector (LPD) and its use at X-ray free electron laser sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veale, M. C.; Adkin, P.; Booker, P.; Coughlan, J.; French, M. J.; Hart, M.; Nicholls, T.; Schneider, A.; Seller, P.; Pape, I.; Sawhney, K.; Carini, G. A.; Hart, P. A.

2017-12-01

The STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have delivered the Large Pixel Detector (LPD) for MHz frame rate imaging at the European XFEL. The detector system has an active area of 0.5 m × 0.5 m and consists of a million pixels on a 500 μm pitch. Sensors have been produced from 500 μm thick Hammamatsu silicon tiles that have been bump bonded to the readout ASIC using a silver epoxy and gold stud technique. Each pixel of the detector system is capable of measuring 105 12 keV photons per image readout at 4.5 MHz. In this paper results from the testing of these detectors at the Diamond Light Source and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) are presented. The performance of the detector in terms of linearity, spatial uniformity and the performance of the different ASIC gain stages is characterised.

A low-noise wide-dynamic-range event-driven detector using SOI pixel technology for high-energy particle imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Sumeet; Kamehama, Hiroki; Kawahito, Shoji; Yasutomi, Keita; Kagawa, Keiichiro; Takeda, Ayaki; Tsuru, Takeshi Go; Arai, Yasuo

2015-08-01

This paper presents a low-noise wide-dynamic-range pixel design for a high-energy particle detector in astronomical applications. A silicon on insulator (SOI) based detector is used for the detection of wide energy range of high energy particles (mainly for X-ray). The sensor has a thin layer of SOI CMOS readout circuitry and a thick layer of high-resistivity detector vertically stacked in a single chip. Pixel circuits are divided into two parts; signal sensing circuit and event detection circuit. The event detection circuit consisting of a comparator and logic circuits which detect the incidence of high energy particle categorizes the incident photon it into two energy groups using an appropriate energy threshold and generate a two-bit code for an event and energy level. The code for energy level is then used for selection of the gain of the in-pixel amplifier for the detected signal, providing a function of high-dynamic-range signal measurement. The two-bit code for the event and energy level is scanned in the event scanning block and the signals from the hit pixels only are read out. The variable-gain in-pixel amplifier uses a continuous integrator and integration-time control for the variable gain. The proposed design allows the small signal detection and wide dynamic range due to the adaptive gain technique and capability of correlated double sampling (CDS) technique of kTC noise canceling of the charge detector.

Double Photon Emission Coincidence Imaging using GAGG-SiPM pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimazoe, K.; Uenomachi, M.; Mizumachi, Y.; Takahashi, H.; Masao, Y.; Shoji, Y.; Kamada, K.; Yoshikawa, A.

2017-12-01

Single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) is a useful medical imaging modality using single photon detection from radioactive tracers, such as 99Tc and 111In, however further development of increasing the contrast in the image is still under investigation. A novel method (Double Photon Emission CT / DPECT) using a coincidence detection of two cascade gamma-rays from 111In is proposed and characterized in this study. 111In, which is well-known and commonly used as a SPECT tracer, emits two cascade photons of 171 keV and 245 keV with a short delay of approximately 85 ns. The coincidence detection of two gamma-rays theoretically determines the position in a single point compared with a line in single photon detection and increases the signal to noise ratio drastically. A fabricated pixel detector for this purpose consists of 8 × 8 array of high-resolution type 1.5 mm thickness Ce:GAGG (3.9% @ 662 keV, 6.63g/cm3, C&A Co. Ce:Gd3Ga2.7Al2.3O12 2.5 × 2.5 × 1.5 mm3) crystals coupled a 3 mm pixel SiPM array (Hamamatsu MPPC S13361-2050NS-08). The signal from each pixel is processed and readout using time over threshold (TOT) based parallel processing circuit to extract the energy and timing information. The coincidence was detected by FPGA with the frequency of 400 MHz. Two pixel detectors coupled to parallel-hole collimators are located at the degree of 90 to determine the position and coincidence events (time window =1 μs) are detected and used for making back-projection image. The basic principle of DPECT is characterized including the detection efficiency and timing resolution.

Characterisation of the high dynamic range Large Pixel Detector (LPD) and its use at X-ray free electron laser sources

DOE PAGES

Veale, M. C.; Adkin, P.; Booker, P.; ...

2017-12-04

The STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have delivered the Large Pixel Detector (LPD) for MHz frame rate imaging at the European XFEL. The detector system has an active area of 0.5 m × 0.5 m and consists of a million pixels on a 500 μm pitch. Sensors have been produced from 500 μm thick Hammamatsu silicon tiles that have been bump bonded to the readout ASIC using a silver epoxy and gold stud technique. Each pixel of the detector system is capable of measuring 10 5 12 keV photons per image readout at 4.5 MHz. In this paper results from themore » testing of these detectors at the Diamond Light Source and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) are presented. As a result, the performance of the detector in terms of linearity, spatial uniformity and the performance of the different ASIC gain stages is characterised.« less

Characterisation of the high dynamic range Large Pixel Detector (LPD) and its use at X-ray free electron laser sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veale, M. C.; Adkin, P.; Booker, P.

The STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have delivered the Large Pixel Detector (LPD) for MHz frame rate imaging at the European XFEL. The detector system has an active area of 0.5 m × 0.5 m and consists of a million pixels on a 500 μm pitch. Sensors have been produced from 500 μm thick Hammamatsu silicon tiles that have been bump bonded to the readout ASIC using a silver epoxy and gold stud technique. Each pixel of the detector system is capable of measuring 10 5 12 keV photons per image readout at 4.5 MHz. In this paper results from themore » testing of these detectors at the Diamond Light Source and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) are presented. As a result, the performance of the detector in terms of linearity, spatial uniformity and the performance of the different ASIC gain stages is characterised.« less

Noise propagation issues in Belle II pixel detector power cable

DOE PAGES

Iglesias, M.; Arteche, F.; Echeverria, I.; ...

2018-04-26

The vertex detector used in the upgrade of High-Energy physics experiment Belle II includes DEPFET pixel detector (PXD) technology. In this complex topology the power supply units and the front-end electronics are connected through a PXD power cable bundle which may propagate the output noise from the power supplies to the vertex area. This article presents a study of the propagation of noise caused by power converters in the PXD cable bundle based on Multi-conductor Transmission Line (MTL) theory. The work exposes the effect of the complex cable topology and shield connections on the noise propagation, which has an impactmore » on the requirements of the power supplies. This analysis is part of the electromagnetic compatibility based design focused on functional safety to define the shield connections and power supply specifications required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics.« less

Noise propagation issues in Belle II pixel detector power cable

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iglesias, M.; Arteche, F.; Echeverria, I.

The vertex detector used in the upgrade of High-Energy physics experiment Belle II includes DEPFET pixel detector (PXD) technology. In this complex topology the power supply units and the front-end electronics are connected through a PXD power cable bundle which may propagate the output noise from the power supplies to the vertex area. This article presents a study of the propagation of noise caused by power converters in the PXD cable bundle based on Multi-conductor Transmission Line (MTL) theory. The work exposes the effect of the complex cable topology and shield connections on the noise propagation, which has an impactmore » on the requirements of the power supplies. This analysis is part of the electromagnetic compatibility based design focused on functional safety to define the shield connections and power supply specifications required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics.« less

Noise propagation issues in Belle II pixel detector power cable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iglesias, M.; Arteche, F.; Echeverria, I.; Pradas, A.; Rivetta, C.; Moser, H.-G.; Kiesling, C.; Rummel, S.; Arcega, F. J.

2018-04-01

The vertex detector used in the upgrade of High-Energy physics experiment Belle II includes DEPFET pixel detector (PXD) technology. In this complex topology the power supply units and the front-end electronics are connected through a PXD power cable bundle which may propagate the output noise from the power supplies to the vertex area. This paper presents a study of the propagation of noise caused by power converters in the PXD cable bundle based on Multi-conductor Transmission Line (MTL) theory. The work exposes the effect of the complex cable topology and shield connections on the noise propagation, which has an impact on the requirements of the power supplies. This analysis is part of the electromagnetic compatibility based design focused on functional safety to define the shield connections and power supply specifications required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics.

Nuclear resonant scattering measurements on (57)Fe by multichannel scaling with a 64-pixel silicon avalanche photodiode linear-array detector.

PubMed

Kishimoto, S; Mitsui, T; Haruki, R; Yoda, Y; Taniguchi, T; Shimazaki, S; Ikeno, M; Saito, M; Tanaka, M

2014-11-01

We developed a silicon avalanche photodiode (Si-APD) linear-array detector for use in nuclear resonant scattering experiments using synchrotron X-rays. The Si-APD linear array consists of 64 pixels (pixel size: 100 × 200 μm(2)) with a pixel pitch of 150 μm and depletion depth of 10 μm. An ultrafast frontend circuit allows the X-ray detector to obtain a high output rate of >10(7) cps per pixel. High-performance integrated circuits achieve multichannel scaling over 1024 continuous time bins with a 1 ns resolution for each pixel without dead time. The multichannel scaling method enabled us to record a time spectrum of the 14.4 keV nuclear radiation at each pixel with a time resolution of 1.4 ns (FWHM). This method was successfully applied to nuclear forward scattering and nuclear small-angle scattering on (57)Fe.

Ion-ion coincidence imaging at high event rate using an in-vacuum pixel detector.

PubMed

Long, Jingming; Furch, Federico J; Durá, Judith; Tremsin, Anton S; Vallerga, John; Schulz, Claus Peter; Rouzée, Arnaud; Vrakking, Marc J J

2017-07-07

A new ion-ion coincidence imaging spectrometer based on a pixelated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector has been developed for the investigation of molecular ionization and fragmentation processes in strong laser fields. Used as a part of a velocity map imaging spectrometer, the detection system is comprised of a set of microchannel plates and a Timepix detector. A fast time-to-digital converter (TDC) is used to enhance the ion time-of-flight resolution by correlating timestamps registered separately by the Timepix detector and the TDC. In addition, sub-pixel spatial resolution (<6 μm) is achieved by the use of a center-of-mass centroiding algorithm. This performance is achieved while retaining a high event rate (10 4 per s). The spectrometer was characterized and used in a proof-of-principle experiment on strong field dissociative double ionization of carbon dioxide molecules (CO 2 ), using a 400 kHz repetition rate laser system. The experimental results demonstrate that the spectrometer can detect multiple ions in coincidence, making it a valuable tool for studying the fragmentation dynamics of molecules in strong laser fields.

Ion-ion coincidence imaging at high event rate using an in-vacuum pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Jingming; Furch, Federico J.; Durá, Judith; Tremsin, Anton S.; Vallerga, John; Schulz, Claus Peter; Rouzée, Arnaud; Vrakking, Marc J. J.

2017-07-01

A new ion-ion coincidence imaging spectrometer based on a pixelated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector has been developed for the investigation of molecular ionization and fragmentation processes in strong laser fields. Used as a part of a velocity map imaging spectrometer, the detection system is comprised of a set of microchannel plates and a Timepix detector. A fast time-to-digital converter (TDC) is used to enhance the ion time-of-flight resolution by correlating timestamps registered separately by the Timepix detector and the TDC. In addition, sub-pixel spatial resolution (<6 μm) is achieved by the use of a center-of-mass centroiding algorithm. This performance is achieved while retaining a high event rate (104 per s). The spectrometer was characterized and used in a proof-of-principle experiment on strong field dissociative double ionization of carbon dioxide molecules (CO2), using a 400 kHz repetition rate laser system. The experimental results demonstrate that the spectrometer can detect multiple ions in coincidence, making it a valuable tool for studying the fragmentation dynamics of molecules in strong laser fields.

The Full-Scale Prototype for the Fluorescence Detector Array of Single-Pixel Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, T.; Malacari, M.; Bellido, J. A.; Farmer, J.; Galimova, A.; Horvath, P.; Hrabovsky, M.; Mandat, D.; Matalon, A.; Matthews, J. N.; Merolle, M.; Ni, X.; Nozka, L.; Palatka, M.; Pech, M.; Privitera, P.; Schovanek, P.; Thomas, S. B.; Travnicek, P.

The Fluorescence detector Array of Single-pixel Telescopes (FAST) is a design concept for the next generation of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) observatories, addressing the requirements for a large-area, low-cost detector suitable for measuring the properties of the highest energy cosmic rays. In the FAST design, a large field of view is covered by a few pixels at the focal plane of a mirror or Fresnel lens. Motivated by the successful detection of UHECRs using a prototype comprised of a single 200 mm photomultiplier-tube and a 1 m2 Fresnel lens system, we have developed a new "full-scale" prototype consisting of four 200 mm photomultiplier-tubes at the focus of a segmented mirror of 1.6 m in diameter. We report on the status of the full-scale prototype, including test measurements made during first light operation at the Telescope Array site in central Utah, U.S.A.

Investigation of thin n-in-p planar pixel modules for the ATLAS upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savic, N.; Beyer, J.; La Rosa, A.; Macchiolo, A.; Nisius, R.

2016-12-01

In view of the High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), planned to start around 2023-2025, the ATLAS experiment will undergo a replacement of the Inner Detector. A higher luminosity will imply higher irradiation levels and hence will demand more radiation hardness especially in the inner layers of the pixel system. The n-in-p silicon technology is a promising candidate to instrument this region, also thanks to its cost-effectiveness because it only requires a single sided processing in contrast to the n-in-n pixel technology presently employed in the LHC experiments. In addition, thin sensors were found to ensure radiation hardness at high fluences. An overview is given of recent results obtained with not irradiated and irradiated n-in-p planar pixel modules. The focus will be on n-in-p planar pixel sensors with an active thickness of 100 and 150 μm recently produced at ADVACAM. To maximize the active area of the sensors, slim and active edges are implemented. The performance of these modules is investigated at beam tests and the results on edge efficiency will be shown.

Detector Sampling of Optical/IR Spectra: How Many Pixels per FWHM?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, J. Gordon

2017-08-01

Most optical and IR spectra are now acquired using detectors with finite-width pixels in a square array. Each pixel records the received intensity integrated over its own area, and pixels are separated by the array pitch. This paper examines the effects of such pixellation, using computed simulations to illustrate the effects which most concern the astronomer end-user. It is shown that coarse sampling increases the random noise errors in wavelength by typically 10-20 % at 2 pixels per Full Width at Half Maximum, but with wide variation depending on the functional form of the instrumental Line Spread Function (i.e. the instrumental response to a monochromatic input) and on the pixel phase. If line widths are determined, they are even more strongly affected at low sampling frequencies. However, the noise in fitted peak amplitudes is minimally affected by pixellation, with increases less than about 5%. Pixellation has a substantial but complex effect on the ability to see a relative minimum between two closely spaced peaks (or relative maximum between two absorption lines). The consistent scale of resolving power presented by Robertson to overcome the inadequacy of the Full Width at Half Maximum as a resolution measure is here extended to cover pixellated spectra. The systematic bias errors in wavelength introduced by pixellation, independent of signal/noise ratio, are examined. While they may be negligible for smooth well-sampled symmetric Line Spread Functions, they are very sensitive to asymmetry and high spatial frequency sub-structure. The Modulation Transfer Function for sampled data is shown to give a useful indication of the extent of improperly sampled signal in an Line Spread Function. The common maxim that 2 pixels per Full Width at Half Maximum is the Nyquist limit is incorrect and most Line Spread Functions will exhibit some aliasing at this sample frequency. While 2 pixels per Full Width at Half Maximum is nevertheless often an acceptable minimum for

Performance of a Medipix3RX spectroscopic pixel detector with a high resistivity gallium arsenide sensor.

PubMed

Hamann, Elias; Koenig, Thomas; Zuber, Marcus; Cecilia, Angelica; Tyazhev, Anton; Tolbanov, Oleg; Procz, Simon; Fauler, Alex; Baumbach, Tilo; Fiederle, Michael

2015-03-01

High resistivity gallium arsenide is considered a suitable sensor material for spectroscopic X-ray imaging detectors. These sensors typically have thicknesses between a few hundred μm and 1 mm to ensure a high photon detection efficiency. However, for small pixel sizes down to several tens of μm, an effect called charge sharing reduces a detector's spectroscopic performance. The recently developed Medipix3RX readout chip overcomes this limitation by implementing a charge summing circuit, which allows the reconstruction of the full energy information of a photon interaction in a single pixel. In this work, we present the characterization of the first Medipix3RX detector assembly with a 500 μm thick high resistivity, chromium compensated gallium arsenide sensor. We analyze its properties and demonstrate the functionality of the charge summing mode by means of energy response functions recorded at a synchrotron. Furthermore, the imaging properties of the detector, in terms of its modulation transfer functions and signal-to-noise ratios, are investigated. After more than one decade of attempts to establish gallium arsenide as a sensor material for photon counting detectors, our results represent a breakthrough in obtaining detector-grade material. The sensor we introduce is therefore suitable for high resolution X-ray imaging applications.

Improvement of the energy resolution of pixelated CdTe detectors for applications in 0νββ searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleixner, T.; Anton, G.; Filipenko, M.; Seller, P.; Veale, M. C.; Wilson, M. D.; Zang, A.; Michel, T.

2015-07-01

Experiments trying to detect 0νββ are very challenging. Their requirements include a good energy resolution and a good detection efficiency. With current fine pixelated CdTe detectors there is a trade off between the energy resolution and the detection efficiency, which limits their performance. It will be shown with simulations that this problem can be mostly negated by analysing the cathode signal which increases the optimal sensor thickness. We will compare different types of fine pixelated CdTe detectors (Timepix, Dosepix, HEXITEC) from this point of view.

First neutron spectroscopy measurements with a pixelated diamond detector at JET

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muraro, A., E-mail: muraro@ifp.cnr.it; Giacomelli, L.; Grosso, G.

2016-11-15

A prototype Single crystal Diamond Detector (SDD) was installed at the Joint European Torus (JET) in 2013 along an oblique line of sight and demonstrated the possibility to carry out neutron spectroscopy measurements with good energy resolution and detector stability in discharges heated by neutral beam injection and radio-frequency waves. Starting from these positive results, within the Vertical Neutron Spectrometer project of the Joint European Torus, we have developed a pixelated instrument consisting of a matrix of 12 independent SDDs, called the Diamond Vertical Neutron Spectrometer (DVNS), which boosts the detection efficiency of a single SDD by an order ofmore » magnitude. In this paper we describe the main features of the DVNS, including the detector design, energy resolution, and data acquisition system for on-line processing. Preliminary spectroscopy measurements of 2.5 MeV neutrons from the present deuterium plasma at JET are finally presented.« less

First neutron spectroscopy measurements with a pixelated diamond detector at JET.

PubMed

Muraro, A; Giacomelli, L; Nocente, M; Rebai, M; Rigamonti, D; Belli, F; Calvani, P; Figueiredo, J; Girolami, M; Gorini, G; Grosso, G; Murari, A; Popovichev, S; Trucchi, D M; Tardocchi, M

2016-11-01

A prototype Single crystal Diamond Detector (SDD) was installed at the Joint European Torus (JET) in 2013 along an oblique line of sight and demonstrated the possibility to carry out neutron spectroscopy measurements with good energy resolution and detector stability in discharges heated by neutral beam injection and radio-frequency waves. Starting from these positive results, within the Vertical Neutron Spectrometer project of the Joint European Torus, we have developed a pixelated instrument consisting of a matrix of 12 independent SDDs, called the Diamond Vertical Neutron Spectrometer (DVNS), which boosts the detection efficiency of a single SDD by an order of magnitude. In this paper we describe the main features of the DVNS, including the detector design, energy resolution, and data acquisition system for on-line processing. Preliminary spectroscopy measurements of 2.5 MeV neutrons from the present deuterium plasma at JET are finally presented.

Detection systems for mass spectrometry imaging: a perspective on novel developments with a focus on active pixel detectors.

PubMed

Jungmann, Julia H; Heeren, Ron M A

2013-01-15

Instrumental developments for imaging and individual particle detection for biomolecular mass spectrometry (imaging) and fundamental atomic and molecular physics studies are reviewed. Ion-counting detectors, array detection systems and high mass detectors for mass spectrometry (imaging) are treated. State-of-the-art detection systems for multi-dimensional ion, electron and photon detection are highlighted. Their application and performance in three different imaging modes--integrated, selected and spectral image detection--are described. Electro-optical and microchannel-plate-based systems are contrasted. The analytical capabilities of solid-state pixel detectors--both charge coupled device (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips--are introduced. The Medipix/Timepix detector family is described as an example of a CMOS hybrid active pixel sensor. Alternative imaging methods for particle detection and their potential for future applications are investigated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

First images of a digital autoradiography system based on a Medipix2 hybrid silicon pixel detector.

PubMed

Mettivier, Giovanni; Montesi, Maria Cristina; Russo, Paolo

2003-06-21

We present the first images of beta autoradiography obtained with the high-resolution hybrid pixel detector consisting of the Medipix2 single photon counting read-out chip bump-bonded to a 300 microm thick silicon pixel detector. This room temperature system has 256 x 256 square pixels of 55 microm pitch (total sensitive area of 14 x 14 mm2), with a double threshold discriminator and a 13-bit counter in each pixel. It is read out via a dedicated electronic interface and control software, also developed in the framework of the European Medipix2 Collaboration. Digital beta autoradiograms of 14C microscale standard strips (containing separate bands of increasing specific activity in the range 0.0038-32.9 kBq g(-1)) indicate system linearity down to a total background noise of 1.8 x 10(-3) counts mm(-2) s(-1). The minimum detectable activity is estimated to be 0.012 Bq for 36,000 s exposure and 0.023 Bq for 10,800 s exposure. The measured minimum detection threshold is less than 1600 electrons (equivalent to about 6 keV Si). This real-time system for beta autoradiography offers lower pixel pitch and higher sensitive area than the previous Medipix1-based system. It has a 14C sensitivity better than that of micro channel plate based systems, which, however, shows higher spatial resolution and sensitive area.

X-ray tests of a microchannel plate detector and amorphous silicon pixel array readout for neutron radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrosi, R. M.; Street, R.; Feller, B.; Fraser, G. W.; Watterson, J. I. W.; Lanza, R. C.; Dowson, J.; Ross, D.; Martindale, A.; Abbey, A. F.; Vernon, D.

2007-03-01

High-performance large area imaging detectors for fast neutrons in the 5-14 MeV energy range do not exist at present. The aim of this project is to combine microchannel plates or MCPs (or similar electron multiplication structures) traditionally used in image intensifiers and X-ray detectors with amorphous silicon (a-Si) pixel arrays to produce a composite converter and intensifier position sensitive imaging system. This detector will provide an order of magnitude improvement in image resolution when compared with current millimetre resolution limits obtained using phosphor or scintillator-based hydrogen rich converters. In this study we present the results of the initial experimental evaluation of the prototype system. This study was carried out using a medical X-ray source for the proof of concept tests, the next phase will involve neutron imaging tests. The hybrid detector described in this study is a unique development and paves the way for large area position sensitive detectors consisting of MCP or microsphere plate detectors and a-Si or polysilicon pixel arrays. Applications include neutron and X-ray imaging for terrestrial applications. The technology could be extended to space instrumentation for X-ray astronomy.

Development of n-in-p pixel modules for the ATLAS upgrade at HL-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macchiolo, A.; Nisius, R.; Savic, N.; Terzo, S.

2016-09-01

Thin planar pixel modules are promising candidates to instrument the inner layers of the new ATLAS pixel detector for HL-LHC, thanks to the reduced contribution to the material budget and their high charge collection efficiency after irradiation. 100-200 μm thick sensors, interconnected to FE-I4 read-out chips, have been characterized with radioactive sources and beam tests at the CERN-SPS and DESY. The results of these measurements are reported for devices before and after irradiation up to a fluence of 14 ×1015 neq /cm2 . The charge collection and tracking efficiency of the different sensor thicknesses are compared. The outlook for future planar pixel sensor production is discussed, with a focus on sensor design with the pixel pitches (50×50 and 25×100 μm2) foreseen for the RD53 Collaboration read-out chip in 65 nm CMOS technology. An optimization of the biasing structures in the pixel cells is required to avoid the hit efficiency loss presently observed in the punch-through region after irradiation. For this purpose the performance of different layouts have been compared in FE-I4 compatible sensors at various fluence levels by using beam test data. Highly segmented sensors will represent a challenge for the tracking in the forward region of the pixel system at HL-LHC. In order to reproduce the performance of 50×50 μm2 pixels at high pseudo-rapidity values, FE-I4 compatible planar pixel sensors have been studied before and after irradiation in beam tests at high incidence angle (80°) with respect to the short pixel direction. Results on cluster shapes, charge collection and hit efficiency will be shown.

Development of n+-in-p planar pixel sensors for extremely high radiation environments, designed to retain high efficiency after irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unno, Y.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Takashima, R.; Tojo, J.; Kono, T.; Hanagaki, K.; Yajima, K.; Yamauchi, Y.; Hirose, M.; Homma, Y.; Jinnouchi, O.; Kimura, K.; Motohashi, K.; Sato, S.; Sawai, H.; Todome, K.; Yamaguchi, D.; Hara, K.; Sato, Kz.; Sato, Kj.; Hagihara, M.; Iwabuchi, S.

2016-09-01

We have developed n+-in-p pixel sensors to obtain highly radiation tolerant sensors for extremely high radiation environments such as those found at the high-luminosity LHC. We have designed novel pixel structures to eliminate the sources of efficiency loss under the bias rails after irradiation by removing the bias rail out of the boundary region and routing the bias resistors inside the area of the pixel electrodes. After irradiation by protons with the fluence of approximately 3 ×1015neq /cm2, the pixel structure with the polysilicon bias resistor and the bias rails removed far away from the boundary shows an efficiency loss of < 0.5 % per pixel at the boundary region, which is as efficient as the pixel structure without a biasing structure. The pixel structure with the bias rails at the boundary and the widened p-stop's underneath the bias rail also exhibits an improved loss of approximately 1% per pixel at the boundary region. We have elucidated the physical mechanisms behind the efficiency loss under the bias rail with TCAD simulations. The efficiency loss is due to the interplay of the bias rail acting as a charge collecting electrode with the region of low electric field in the silicon near the surface at the boundary. The region acts as a "shield" for the electrode. After irradiation, the strong applied electric field nearly eliminates the region. The TCAD simulations have shown that wide p-stop and large Si-SiO2 interface charge (inversion layer, specifically) act to shield the weighting potential. The pixel sensor of the old design irradiated by γ-rays at 2.4 MGy is confirmed to exhibit only a slight efficiency loss at the boundary.

Investigating the Inverse Square Law with the Timepix Hybrid Silicon Pixel Detector: A CERN [at] School Demonstration Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whyntie, T.; Parker, B.

2013-01-01

The Timepix hybrid silicon pixel detector has been used to investigate the inverse square law of radiation from a point source as a demonstration of the CERN [at] school detector kit capabilities. The experiment described uses a Timepix detector to detect the gamma rays emitted by an [superscript 241]Am radioactive source at a number of different…

High-sensitivity brain SPECT system using cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor detector and 4-pixel matched collimator.

PubMed

Suzuki, Atsuro; Takeuchi, Wataru; Ishitsu, Takafumi; Tsuchiya, Katsutoshi; Morimoto, Yuichi; Ueno, Yuichiro; Kobashi, Keiji; Kubo, Naoki; Shiga, Tohru; Tamaki, Nagara

2013-11-07

For high-sensitivity brain imaging, we have developed a two-head single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system using a CdTe semiconductor detector and 4-pixel matched collimator (4-PMC). The term, '4-PMC' indicates that the collimator hole size is matched to a 2 × 2 array of detector pixels. By contrast, a 1-pixel matched collimator (1-PMC) is defined as a collimator whose hole size is matched to one detector pixel. The performance of the higher-sensitivity 4-PMC was experimentally compared with that of the 1-PMC. The sensitivities of the 1-PMC and 4-PMC were 70 cps/MBq/head and 220 cps/MBq/head, respectively. The SPECT system using the 4-PMC provides superior image resolution in cold and hot rods phantom with the same activity and scan time to that of the 1-PMC. In addition, with half the usual scan time the 4-PMC provides comparable image quality to that of the 1-PMC. Furthermore, (99m)Tc-ECD brain perfusion images of healthy volunteers obtained using the 4-PMC demonstrated acceptable image quality for clinical diagnosis. In conclusion, our CdTe SPECT system equipped with the higher-sensitivity 4-PMC can provide better spatial resolution than the 1-PMC either in half the imaging time with the same administered activity, or alternatively, in the same imaging time with half the activity.

Homogeneity study of a GaAs:Cr pixelated sensor by means of X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billoud, T.; Leroy, C.; Papadatos, C.; Pichotka, M.; Pospisil, S.; Roux, J. S.

2018-04-01

Direct conversion semiconductor detectors have become an indispensable tool in radiation detection by now. In order to obtain a high detection efficiency, especially when detecting X or γ rays, high-Z semiconductor sensors are necessary. Like other compound semiconductors GaAs, compensated by chromium (GaAs:Cr), suffers from a number of defects that affect the charge collection efficiency and homogeneity of the material. A precise knowledge of this problem is important to predict the performance of such detectors and eventually correct their response in specific applications. In this study we analyse the homogeneity and mobility-lifetime products (μe τe) of a 500 μ m thick GaAs:Cr pixelated sensor connected to a Timepix chip. The detector is irradiated by 23 keV X-rays, each pixel recording the number of photon interactions and the charge they induce on its electrode. The μe τe products are extracted on a per-pixel basis, using the Hecht equation corrected for the small pixel effect. The detector shows a good time stability in the experimental conditions. Significant inhomogeneities are observed in photon counting and charge collection efficiencies. An average μe τe of 1.0 ṡ 10‑4 cm2V‑1 is found, and compared with values obtained by other methods for the same material. Solutions to improve the response are discussed.

A GaAs pixel detectors-based digital mammographic system: Performances and imaging tests results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annovazzi, A.; Amendolia, S. R.; Bigongiari, A.; Bisogni, M. G.; Catarsi, F.; Cesqui, F.; Cetronio, A.; Colombo, F.; Delogu, P.; Fantacci, M. E.; Gilberti, A.; Lanzieri, C.; Lavagna, S.; Novelli, M.; Passuello, G.; Paternoster, G.; Pieracci, M.; Poletti, M.; Quattrocchi, M.; Rosso, V.; Stefanini, A.; Testa, A.; Venturelli, L.

2007-06-01

The prototype presented in this paper is based on GaAs pixel detectors read-out by the PCC/MEDIPIX I circuit. The active area of a sensor is about 1 cm 2 therefore to cover the typical irradiation field used in mammography (18×24 cm 2), 18 GaAs detection units have been organized in two staggered rows of nine chips each and moved by a stepper motor in the orthogonal direction. The system is integrated in a mammographic equipment which comprehends the X-ray tube, the bias and data acquisition systems and the PC-based control system. The prototype has been developed in the framework of the Integrated Mammographic Imaging (IMI) project, an industrial research activity aiming to develop innovative instrumentation for morphologic and functional imaging. The project has been supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and by five Italian High Tech companies, Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS), CAEN, Gilardoni, LABEN and Poli.Hi.Tech., in collaboration with the universities of Ferrara, Roma "La Sapienza", Pisa and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN). In this paper, we report on the electrical characterization and the first imaging test results of the digital mammographic system. To assess the imaging capability of such a detector we have built a phantom, which simulates the breast tissue with malignancies. The radiographs of the phantom, obtained by delivering an entrance dose of 4.8 mGy, have shown particulars with a measured contrast below 1%.

Study on Effects of Gamma-Ray Irradiation on TlBr Semiconductor Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumura, Motohiro; Watanabe, Kenichi; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Uritani, Akira; Kimura, Norihisa; Nagano, Nobumichi; Hitomi, Keitaro

Radiation hardness of thallium bromide (TlBr) semiconductor detectors to 60Co gamma-ray irradiation was evaluated. The energy spectra and μτ products of electrons were measured to evaluate the irradiation effects. No significant degradation of spectroscopic performance of the TlBr detector for 137Cs gamma-rays was observed up to 45 kGy irradiation. Although the μτ products of electrons in the TlBr detector slightly decreased, position of the photo-peak was stable without significant degradation after the gamma-ray irradiation. We confirmed that the TlBr semiconductor detector has a high tolerance for gamma-ray irradiation at least up to 45 kGy.

CVD diamond detectors for ionizing radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedl, M.; Adam, W.; Bauer, C.; Berdermann, E.; Bergonzo, P.; Bogani, F.; Borchi, E.; Brambilla, A.; Bruzzi, M.; Colledani, C.; Conway, J.; Dabrowski, W.; Delpierre, P.; Deneuville, A.; Dulinski, W.; van Eijk, B.; Fallou, A.; Fizzotti, F.; Foulon, F.; Gan, K. K.; Gheeraert, E.; Grigoriev, E.; Hallewell, G.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Han, S.; Hartjes, F.; Hrubec, J.; Husson, D.; Kagan, H.; Kania, D.; Kaplon, J.; Karl, C.; Kass, R.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Krammer, M.; Logiudice, A.; Lu, R.; Manfredi, P. F.; Manfredotti, C.; Marshall, R. D.; Meier, D.; Mishina, M.; Oh, A.; Pan, L. S.; Palmieri, V. G.; Pernegger, H.; Pernicka, M.; Peitz, A.; Pirollo, S.; Polesello, P.; Pretzl, K.; Re, V.; Riester, J. L.; Roe, S.; Roff, D.; Rudge, A.; Schnetzer, S.; Sciortino, S.; Speziali, V.; Stelzer, H.; Stone, R.; Tapper, R. J.; Tesarek, R.; Thomson, G. B.; Trawick, M.; Trischuk, W.; Vittone, E.; Walsh, A. M.; Wedenig, R.; Weilhammer, P.; Ziock, H.; Zoeller, M.; RD42 Collaboration

1999-10-01

In future HEP accelerators, such as the LHC (CERN), detectors and electronics in the vertex region of the experiments will suffer from extreme radiation. Thus radiation hardness is required for both detectors and electronics to survive in this harsh environment. CVD diamond, which is investigated by the RD42 Collaboration at CERN, can meet these requirements. Samples of up to 2×4 cm2 have been grown and refined for better charge collection properties, which are measured with a β source or in a testbeam. A large number of diamond samples has been irradiated with hadrons to fluences of up to 5×10 15 cm-2 to study the effects of radiation. Both strip and pixel detectors were prepared in various geometries. Samples with strip metallization have been tested with both slow and fast readout electronics, and the first diamond pixel detector proved fully functional with LHC electronics.

Enhancing spatial resolution of (18)F positron imaging with the Timepix detector by classification of primary fired pixels using support vector machine.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Liu, Zhen; Ziegler, Sibylle I; Shi, Kuangyu

2015-07-07

Position-sensitive positron cameras using silicon pixel detectors have been applied for some preclinical and intraoperative clinical applications. However, the spatial resolution of a positron camera is limited by positron multiple scattering in the detector. An incident positron may fire a number of successive pixels on the imaging plane. It is still impossible to capture the primary fired pixel along a particle trajectory by hardware or to perceive the pixel firing sequence by direct observation. Here, we propose a novel data-driven method to improve the spatial resolution by classifying the primary pixels within the detector using support vector machine. A classification model is constructed by learning the features of positron trajectories based on Monte-Carlo simulations using Geant4. Topological and energy features of pixels fired by (18)F positrons were considered for the training and classification. After applying the classification model on measurements, the primary fired pixels of the positron tracks in the silicon detector were estimated. The method was tested and assessed for [(18)F]FDG imaging of an absorbing edge protocol and a leaf sample. The proposed method improved the spatial resolution from 154.6   ±   4.2 µm (energy weighted centroid approximation) to 132.3   ±   3.5 µm in the absorbing edge measurements. For the positron imaging of a leaf sample, the proposed method achieved lower root mean square error relative to phosphor plate imaging, and higher similarity with the reference optical image. The improvements of the preliminary results support further investigation of the proposed algorithm for the enhancement of positron imaging in clinical and preclinical applications.

Enhancing spatial resolution of 18F positron imaging with the Timepix detector by classification of primary fired pixels using support vector machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qian; Liu, Zhen; Ziegler, Sibylle I.; Shi, Kuangyu

2015-07-01

Position-sensitive positron cameras using silicon pixel detectors have been applied for some preclinical and intraoperative clinical applications. However, the spatial resolution of a positron camera is limited by positron multiple scattering in the detector. An incident positron may fire a number of successive pixels on the imaging plane. It is still impossible to capture the primary fired pixel along a particle trajectory by hardware or to perceive the pixel firing sequence by direct observation. Here, we propose a novel data-driven method to improve the spatial resolution by classifying the primary pixels within the detector using support vector machine. A classification model is constructed by learning the features of positron trajectories based on Monte-Carlo simulations using Geant4. Topological and energy features of pixels fired by 18F positrons were considered for the training and classification. After applying the classification model on measurements, the primary fired pixels of the positron tracks in the silicon detector were estimated. The method was tested and assessed for [18F]FDG imaging of an absorbing edge protocol and a leaf sample. The proposed method improved the spatial resolution from 154.6   ±   4.2 µm (energy weighted centroid approximation) to 132.3   ±   3.5 µm in the absorbing edge measurements. For the positron imaging of a leaf sample, the proposed method achieved lower root mean square error relative to phosphor plate imaging, and higher similarity with the reference optical image. The improvements of the preliminary results support further investigation of the proposed algorithm for the enhancement of positron imaging in clinical and preclinical applications.

a Portable Pixel Detector Operating as AN Active Nuclear Emulsion and its Application for X-Ray and Neutron Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vykydal, Z.; Jakubek, J.; Holy, T.; Pospisil, S.

2006-04-01

This work is devoted to the development of a USB1.1 (Universal Serial Bus) based read out system for the Medipix2 detector to achieve maximum portability of this position sensitive detecting device. All necessary detector support is integrated into one compact system (80 × 50 × 20 mm3) including the detector bias source (up to 100 V). The read out interface can control external I2C based devices, so in case of tomography it is easy to synchronize detector shutter with stepper motor control. An additional significant advantage of the USB interface is the support of back side pulse processing. This feature enables to determine the energy additionally to the position of a heavy charged particle hitting the sensor. Due to the small pixel dimensions it is also possible to distinguish the type of single quanta of radiation from the track created in the pixel detector as in case of an active nuclear emulsion.

An ultra-low power self-timed column-level ADC for a CMOS pixel sensor based vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Wang, M.

2014-11-01

The International Large Detector (ILD) is a detector concept for the future linear collider experiment. The vertex detector is the key tool to achieve high precision measurements for flavor tagging, which puts stringent requirements on the CMOS pixel sensors. Due to the cooling systems which deteriorate the material budget and increase the multiple scattering, it is important to reduce the power consumption. This paper presents an ultra-low power self-timed column-level ADC for the CMOS pixel sensors, aiming to equip the outer layers of the vertex detector. The ADC was designed to operate in two modes (active and idle) adapted to the low hit density in the outer layers. The architecture employs an enhanced sample-and-hold circuit and a self-timed technique. The total power consumption with a 3-V supply is 225μW during idle mode, which is the most frequent situation. This value rises to 425μW in the case of the active mode. It occupies an area of 35 × 590μm2.

New concept of a submillimetric pixellated Silicon detector for intracerebral application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benoit, M.; Märk, J.; Weiss, P.; Benoit, D.; Clemens, J. C.; Fougeron, D.; Janvier, B.; Jevaud, M.; Karkar, S.; Menouni, M.; Pain, F.; Pinot, L.; Morel, C.; Laniece, P.

2011-12-01

A new beta+ radiosensitive microprobe implantable in rodent brain dedicated to in vivo and autonomous measurements of local time activity curves of beta radiotracers in a volume of brain tissue of a few mm3 has been developed recently. This project expands the concept of the previously designed beta microprobe, which has been validated extensively in neurobiological experiments performed on anesthetized animals. Due to its limitations considering recordings on awake and freely moving animals, we have proposed to develop a wireless setup that can be worn by an animal without constraining its movements. To that aim, we have chosen a highly beta sensitive Silicon-based detector to devise a compact pixellated probe. Miniaturized wireless electronics is used to read-out and transfer the measurement data. Initial Monte-Carlo simulations showed that high resistive Silicon pixels are appropriate for this purpose, with their dimensions to be adapted to our specific signals. More precisely, we demonstrated that 200 μm thick pixels with an area of 200 μm×500 μm are optimized in terms of beta+sensitivity versus relative transparency to the gamma background. Based on this theoretical study, we now present the development of the novel sensor, including the system simulations with technology computer-assisted design (TCAD) to investigate specific configurations of guard rings and their potential to increase the electrical isolation and stabilization of the pixel, as well as the corresponding physical tests to validate the particular geometries of this new sensor.

High resistivity CMOS pixel sensors and their application to the STAR PXL detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorokhov, A.; Bertolone, G.; Baudot, J.; Colledani, C.; Claus, G.; Degerli, Y.; de Masi, R.; Deveaux, M.; Dozière, G.; Dulinski, W.; Gélin, M.; Goffe, M.; Himmi, A.; Hu-Guo, Ch.; Jaaskelainen, K.; Koziel, M.; Morel, F.; Santos, C.; Specht, M.; Valin, I.; Voutsinas, G.; Winter, M.

2011-09-01

CMOS pixel sensors are foreseen to equip the vertex detector (called PXL) of the upgraded inner tracking system of the STAR experiment at RHIC. The sensors (called ULTIMATE) are being designed and their architecture is being optimized for the PXL specifications, extrapolating from the MIMOSA-26 sensor realized for the EUDET beam telescope.The paper gives an overview of the ULTIMATE sensor specifications and of the adaptation of its forerunner, MIMOSA-26, to the PXL specifications.One of the main changes between MIMOSA-26 and ULTIMATE is the use of a high resistivity epitaxial layer. Recent performance assessments obtained with MIMOSA-26 sensors manufactured on such an epitaxial layer are presented, as well as results of beam tests obtained with a prototype probing improved versions of the MIMOSA-26 pixel design. They show drastic improvements of the pixel signal-to-noise ratio and of the sensor radiation tolerance with respect to the performances achieved with a standard, i.e. low resistivity, layer.

Pixelated coatings and advanced IR coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradal, Fabien; Portier, Benjamin; Oussalah, Meihdi; Leplan, Hervé

2017-09-01

Reosc developed pixelated infrared coatings on detector. Reosc manufactured thick pixelated multilayer stacks on IR-focal plane arrays for bi-spectral imaging systems, demonstrating high filter performance, low crosstalk, and no deterioration of the device sensitivities. More recently, a 5-pixel filter matrix was designed and fabricated. Recent developments in pixelated coatings, shows that high performance infrared filters can be coated directly on detector for multispectral imaging. Next generation space instrument can benefit from this technology to reduce their weight and consumptions.

Capacitively coupled hybrid pixel assemblies for the CLIC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tehrani, N. Alipour; Arfaoui, S.; Benoit, M.; Dannheim, D.; Dette, K.; Hynds, D.; Kulis, S.; Perić, I.; Petrič, M.; Redford, S.; Sicking, E.; Valerio, P.

2016-07-01

The vertex detector at the proposed CLIC multi-TeV linear e+e- collider must have minimal material content and high spatial resolution, combined with accurate time-stamping to cope with the expected high rate of beam-induced backgrounds. One of the options being considered is the use of active sensors implemented in a commercial high-voltage CMOS process, capacitively coupled to hybrid pixel ASICs. A prototype of such an assembly, using two custom designed chips (CCPDv3 as active sensor glued to a CLICpix readout chip), has been characterised both in the lab and in beam tests at the CERN SPS using 120 GeV/c positively charged hadrons. Results of these characterisation studies are presented both for single and dual amplification stages in the active sensor, where efficiencies of greater than 99% have been achieved at -60 V substrate bias, with a single hit resolution of 6.1 μm . Pixel cross-coupling results are also presented, showing the sensitivity to placement precision and planarity of the glue layer.

Collected charge of planar silicon detectors after pion and proton irradiations up to 2.2 ×10 16 n eq cm -2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Affolder, Anthony; Allport, Phil; Casse, Gianluigi

2010-11-01

The planned luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN (Super-LHC) will provide a challenging environment for the tracking and vertexing detector systems. Planar, segmented silicon detectors are one of the few radiation tolerant technologies under consideration for use for the Super-LHC tracking detectors in either pixel or strip geometries. In this paper, charge collection measurements are made with planar silicon sensors with 2 different substrate materials (float zone and magnetic Czochralski) and 3 different diode configurations (p+ strip in n-bulk, n+ strip in n-bulk, and n+ strip in p-bulk). For the first time, a comparison of the charge collection of these devices will be made after irradiation up to 6 ×1014 neq cm-2 with 280 MeV charged pions, and up to 2.2 ×1016 neq cm-2 with 26 MeV protons. This study covers the expected range of final fluences for the different layers of pixel and microstrip sensors of the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Super-LHC. These measurements have been carried out using analogue, high-speed (40 MHz) electronics and a Strontium-90 beta source.

A proposed STAR microvertex detector using Active Pixel Sensors with some relevant studies on APS performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinfelder, S.; Li, S.; Bieser, F.; Gareus, R.; Greiner, L.; King, J.; Levesque, J.; Matis, H. S.; Oldenburg, M.; Ritter, H. G.; Retiere, F.; Rose, A.; Schweda, K.; Shabetai, A.; Sichtermann, E.; Thomas, J. H.; Wieman, H. H.; Bichsel, H.

2006-09-01

A vertex detector that can measure particles with charm or bottom quarks would dramatically expand the physics capability of the STAR detector at RHIC. To accomplish this, we are proposing to build the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) using 2×2 cm Active Pixels Sensors (APS). Ten of these APS chips will be arranged on a ladder (0.28% of a radiation length) at radii of 1.5 and at 5.0 cm. We have examined several properties of APS chips, so that we can characterize the performance of this detector. Using 1.5 GeV/ c electrons, we have measured the charge collected and compared it to the expected charge. To achieve high efficiency, we have considered two different cluster finding algorithms and found that the choice of algorithm is dependent on noise level. We have demonstrated that a Scanning Electron Microscope can probe properties of an APS chip. In particular, we studied several position resolution algorithms. Finally, we studied the properties of pixel pitches from 5 to 30 μm.

Linear fitting of multi-threshold counting data with a pixel-array detector for spectral X-ray imaging

PubMed Central

Muir, Ryan D.; Pogranichney, Nicholas R.; Muir, J. Lewis; Sullivan, Shane Z.; Battaile, Kevin P.; Mulichak, Anne M.; Toth, Scott J.; Keefe, Lisa J.; Simpson, Garth J.

2014-01-01

Experiments and modeling are described to perform spectral fitting of multi-threshold counting measurements on a pixel-array detector. An analytical model was developed for describing the probability density function of detected voltage in X-ray photon-counting arrays, utilizing fractional photon counting to account for edge/corner effects from voltage plumes that spread across multiple pixels. Each pixel was mathematically calibrated by fitting the detected voltage distributions to the model at both 13.5 keV and 15.0 keV X-ray energies. The model and established pixel responses were then exploited to statistically recover images of X-ray intensity as a function of X-ray energy in a simulated multi-wavelength and multi-counting threshold experiment. PMID:25178010

Linear fitting of multi-threshold counting data with a pixel-array detector for spectral X-ray imaging.

PubMed

Muir, Ryan D; Pogranichney, Nicholas R; Muir, J Lewis; Sullivan, Shane Z; Battaile, Kevin P; Mulichak, Anne M; Toth, Scott J; Keefe, Lisa J; Simpson, Garth J

2014-09-01

Experiments and modeling are described to perform spectral fitting of multi-threshold counting measurements on a pixel-array detector. An analytical model was developed for describing the probability density function of detected voltage in X-ray photon-counting arrays, utilizing fractional photon counting to account for edge/corner effects from voltage plumes that spread across multiple pixels. Each pixel was mathematically calibrated by fitting the detected voltage distributions to the model at both 13.5 keV and 15.0 keV X-ray energies. The model and established pixel responses were then exploited to statistically recover images of X-ray intensity as a function of X-ray energy in a simulated multi-wavelength and multi-counting threshold experiment.

The Gigatracker: An ultra-fast and low-mass silicon pixel detector for the NA62 experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorini, M.; Carassiti, V.; Ceccucci, A.; Cortina, E.; Cotta Ramusino, A.; Dellacasa, G.; Garbolino, S.; Jarron, P.; Kaplon, J.; Kluge, A.; Mapelli, A.; Marchetto, F.; Martin, E.; Martoiu, S.; Mazza, G.; Morel, M.; Noy, M.; Nuessle, G.; Petrucci, F.; Riedler, P.; Aglieri Rinella, G.; Rivetti, A.; Tiuraniemi, S.

2011-02-01

The Gigatracker is a hybrid silicon pixel detector developed to track the highly intense NA62 hadron beam with a time resolution of 150 ps (rms). The beam spectrometer of the experiment is composed of three Gigatracker stations installed in vacuum in order to precisely measure momentum, time and direction of every traversing particle. Precise tracking demands a very low mass of the detector assembly ( <0.5% X0 per station) in order to limit multiple scattering and beam hadronic interactions. The high rate and especially the high timing precision requirements are very demanding: two R&D options are ongoing and the corresponding prototype read-out chips have been recently designed and produced in 0.13 μm CMOS technology. One solution makes use of a constant fraction discriminator and on-pixel analogue-based time-to-digital-converter (TDC); the other comprises a delay-locked loop based TDC placed at the end of each pixel column and a time-over-threshold discriminator with time-walk correction technique. The current status of the R&D program is overviewed and results from the prototype read-out chips test are presented.

Investigation of CMOS pixel sensor with 0.18 μm CMOS technology for high-precision tracking detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Fu, M.; Zhang, Y.; Yan, W.; Wang, M.

2017-01-01

The Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) proposed by the Chinese high energy physics community is aiming to measure Higgs particles and their interactions precisely. The tracking detector including Silicon Inner Tracker (SIT) and Forward Tracking Disks (FTD) has driven stringent requirements on sensor technologies in term of spatial resolution, power consumption and readout speed. CMOS Pixel Sensor (CPS) is a promising candidate to approach these requirements. This paper presents the preliminary studies on the sensor optimization for tracking detector to achieve high collection efficiency while keeping necessary spatial resolution. Detailed studies have been performed on the charge collection using a 0.18 μm CMOS image sensor process. This process allows high resistivity epitaxial layer, leading to a significant improvement on the charge collection and therefore improving the radiation tolerance. Together with the simulation results, the first exploratory prototype has bee designed and fabricated. The prototype includes 9 different pixel arrays, which vary in terms of pixel pitch, diode size and geometry. The total area of the prototype amounts to 2 × 7.88 mm2.

Measurements with Si and GaAs pixel detectors bonded to photon counting readout chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, C.; Campbell, M.; Goeppert, R.; Ludwig, J.; Mikulec, B.; Runge, K.; Smith, K. M.; Snoeys, W.

2001-06-01

Detectors fabricated with SI-GaAs and Si bulk material were bonded to Photon Counting Chips (PCC), developed in the framework of the MEDIPIX Collaboration. The PCC consists of a matrix of 64×64 identical square pixels (170 μm×170 μm) with a 15-bit counter in each cell. We investigated the imaging properties of these detector systems under exposure of a dental X-ray tube at room temperature. The image homogeneity and the mean count rate were determined via flood exposure images and compared. Exposures for GaAs detectors exhibit a 3 times larger spread in count rate per image in comparison to Si detectors. This also results in a 3 times worse signal to noise ratio. IV-characteristics and X-ray images at different values of the detectors bias voltage were also taken and show a 30 times higher leakage current for GaAs. The Si detector is fully active beginning from 70 V, whereas the GaAs detector does not reach full charge collection. The presampling modulation transfer function of both assembly types was measured via slit images and gives a spatial resolution of 4.3 lp/mm for both detector systems.

Optimal configuration of a low-dose breast-specific gamma camera based on semiconductor CdZnTe pixelated detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genocchi, B.; Pickford Scienti, O.; Darambara, DG

2017-05-01

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent tumours in women. During the ‘90s, the introduction of screening programmes allowed the detection of cancer before the palpable stage, reducing its mortality up to 50%. About 50% of the women aged between 30 and 50 years present dense breast parenchyma. This percentage decreases to 30% for women between 50 to 80 years. In these women, mammography has a sensitivity of around 30%, and small tumours are covered by the dense parenchyma and missed in the mammogram. Interestingly, breast-specific gamma-cameras based on semiconductor CdZnTe detectors have shown to be of great interest to early diagnosis. Infact, due to the high energy, spatial resolution, and high sensitivity of CdZnTe, molecular breast imaging has been shown to have a sensitivity of about 90% independently of the breast parenchyma. The aim of this work is to determine the optimal combination of the detector pixel size, hole shape, and collimator material in a low dose dual head breast specific gamma camera based on a CdZnTe pixelated detector at 140 keV, in order to achieve high count rate, and the best possible image spatial resolution. The optimal combination has been studied by modeling the system using the Monte Carlo code GATE. Six different pixel sizes from 0.85 mm to 1.6 mm, two hole shapes, hexagonal and square, and two different collimator materials, lead and tungsten were considered. It was demonstrated that the camera achieved higher count rates, and better signal-to-noise ratio when equipped with square hole, and large pixels (> 1.3 mm). In these configurations, the spatial resolution was worse than using small pixel sizes (< 1.3 mm), but remained under 3.6 mm in all cases.

Detector motion method to increase spatial resolution in photon-counting detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Daehee; Park, Kyeongjin; Lim, Kyung Taek; Cho, Gyuseong

2017-03-01

Medical imaging requires high spatial resolution of an image to identify fine lesions. Photon-counting detectors in medical imaging have recently been rapidly replacing energy-integrating detectors due to the former`s high spatial resolution, high efficiency and low noise. Spatial resolution in a photon counting image is determined by the pixel size. Therefore, the smaller the pixel size, the higher the spatial resolution that can be obtained in an image. However, detector redesigning is required to reduce pixel size, and an expensive fine process is required to integrate a signal processing unit with reduced pixel size. Furthermore, as the pixel size decreases, charge sharing severely deteriorates spatial resolution. To increase spatial resolution, we propose a detector motion method using a large pixel detector that is less affected by charge sharing. To verify the proposed method, we utilized a UNO-XRI photon-counting detector (1-mm CdTe, Timepix chip) at the maximum X-ray tube voltage of 80 kVp. A similar spatial resolution of a 55- μm-pixel image was achieved by application of the proposed method to a 110- μm-pixel detector with a higher signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed method could be a way to increase spatial resolution without a pixel redesign when pixels severely suffer from charge sharing as pixel size is reduced.

MEDIPIX: a VLSI chip for a GaAs pixel detector for digital radiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amendolia, S. R.; Bertolucci, E.; Bisogni, M. G.; Bottigli, U.; Ceccopieri, A.; Ciocci, M. A.; Conti, M.; Delogu, P.; Fantacci, M. E.; Maestro, P.; Marzulli, V.; Pernigotti, E.; Romeo, N.; Rosso, V.; Rosso, P.; Stefanini, A.; Stumbo, S.

1999-02-01

A GaAs pixel detector designed for digital mammography, equipped with a 36-channel single photon counting discrete read-out electronics, was tested using a test object developed for quality control purposes in mammography. Each pixel was 200×200 μm 2 large, and 200 μm deep. The choice of GaAs with respect to silicon (largely used in other applications and with a more established technique) has been made because of the much better detection efficiency at mammographic energies, combined with a very good charge collection efficiency achieved thanks to new ohmic contacts. This GaAs detector is able to perform a measurement of low-contrast details, with minimum contrast lower (nearly a factor two) than that typically achievable with standard mammographic film+screen systems in the same conditions of clinical routine. This should allow for an earlier diagnosis of breast tumour masses. Due to these encouraging results, the next step in the evolution of our imaging system based on GaAs detectors has been the development of a VLSI front-end prototype chip (MEDIPIX ) in order to cover a much larger diagnostic area. The chip reads 64×64 channels in single photon counting mode, each one 170 μm wide. Each channel contains also a test input where a signal can be simulated, injecting a known charge through a 16 f F capacitor. Fake signals have been injected via the test input measuring and equalizing minimum thresholds for all the channels. On an average, in most of the performing chips available up to now, we have found that it is possible to set a threshold as low as 1800 electrons with an RMS of 150 electrons (10 standard deviations lower than the 20 keV photon signal roughly equivalent to 4500 electrons). The detector, bump-bonded to the chip, will be tested and a ladder of detectors will be prepared to be able to scan large surface objects.

Measurements and TCAD simulation of novel ATLAS planar pixel detector structures for the HL-LHC upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nellist, C.; Dinu, N.; Gkougkousis, E.; Lounis, A.

2015-06-01

The LHC accelerator complex will be upgraded between 2020-2022, to the High-Luminosity-LHC, to considerably increase statistics for the various physics analyses. To operate under these challenging new conditions, and maintain excellent performance in track reconstruction and vertex location, the ATLAS pixel detector must be substantially upgraded and a full replacement is expected. Processing techniques for novel pixel designs are optimised through characterisation of test structures in a clean room and also through simulations with Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD). A method to study non-perpendicular tracks through a pixel device is discussed. Comparison of TCAD simulations with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) measurements to investigate the doping profile of structures and validate the simulation process is also presented.

The Belle II Pixel Detector Data Acquisition and Background Suppression System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lautenbach, K.; Deschamps, B.; Dingfelder, J.; Getzkow, D.; Geßler, T.; Konorov, I.; Kühn, W.; Lange, S.; Levit, D.; Liu, Z.-A.; Marinas, C.; Münchow, D.; Rabusov, A.; Reiter, S.; Spruck, B.; Wessel, C.; Zhao, J.

2017-06-01

The Belle II experiment at the future SuperKEKB collider in Tsukuba, Japan, features a design luminosity of 8 · 1035 cm-2s-1, which is a factor of 40 larger than that of its predecessor Belle. The pixel detector (PXD) with about 8 million pixels is based on the DEPFET technology and will improve the vertex resolution in beam direction by a factor of 2. With an estimated trigger rate of 30 kHz, the PXD is expected to generate a data rate of 20 GBytes/s, which is about 10 times larger than the amount of data generated by all other Belle II subdetectors. Due to the large beam-related background, the PXD requires a data acquisition system with high-bandwidth data links and realtime background reduction by a factor of 30. To achieve this, the Belle II pixel DAQ uses an FPGA-based computing platform with high speed serial links implemented in the ATCA (Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture) standard. The architecture and performance of the data acquisition system and data reduction of the PXD will be presented. In April 2016 and February 2017 a prototype PXD-DAQ system operated in a test beam campaign delivered data with the whole readout chain under realistic high rate conditions. Final results from the beam test will be presented.

A Low-Noise X-ray Astronomical Silicon-On-Insulator Pixel Detector Using a Pinned Depleted Diode Structure.

PubMed

Kamehama, Hiroki; Kawahito, Shoji; Shrestha, Sumeet; Nakanishi, Syunta; Yasutomi, Keita; Takeda, Ayaki; Tsuru, Takeshi Go; Arai, Yasuo

2017-12-23

This paper presents a novel full-depletion Si X-ray detector based on silicon-on-insulator pixel (SOIPIX) technology using a pinned depleted diode structure, named the SOIPIX-PDD. The SOIPIX-PDD greatly reduces stray capacitance at the charge sensing node, the dark current of the detector, and capacitive coupling between the sensing node and SOI circuits. These features of the SOIPIX-PDD lead to low read noise, resulting high X-ray energy resolution and stable operation of the pixel. The back-gate surface pinning structure using neutralized p-well at the back-gate surface and depleted n-well underneath the p-well for all the pixel area other than the charge sensing node is also essential for preventing hole injection from the p-well by making the potential barrier to hole, reducing dark current from the Si-SiO₂ interface and creating lateral drift field to gather signal electrons in the pixel area into the small charge sensing node. A prototype chip using 0.2 μm SOI technology shows very low readout noise of 11.0 e - rms , low dark current density of 56 pA/cm² at -35 °C and the energy resolution of 200 eV(FWHM) at 5.9 keV and 280 eV (FWHM) at 13.95 keV.

A Low-Noise X-ray Astronomical Silicon-On-Insulator Pixel Detector Using a Pinned Depleted Diode Structure

PubMed Central

Kamehama, Hiroki; Kawahito, Shoji; Shrestha, Sumeet; Nakanishi, Syunta; Yasutomi, Keita; Takeda, Ayaki; Tsuru, Takeshi Go

2017-01-01

This paper presents a novel full-depletion Si X-ray detector based on silicon-on-insulator pixel (SOIPIX) technology using a pinned depleted diode structure, named the SOIPIX-PDD. The SOIPIX-PDD greatly reduces stray capacitance at the charge sensing node, the dark current of the detector, and capacitive coupling between the sensing node and SOI circuits. These features of the SOIPIX-PDD lead to low read noise, resulting high X-ray energy resolution and stable operation of the pixel. The back-gate surface pinning structure using neutralized p-well at the back-gate surface and depleted n-well underneath the p-well for all the pixel area other than the charge sensing node is also essential for preventing hole injection from the p-well by making the potential barrier to hole, reducing dark current from the Si-SiO2 interface and creating lateral drift field to gather signal electrons in the pixel area into the small charge sensing node. A prototype chip using 0.2 μm SOI technology shows very low readout noise of 11.0 e−rms, low dark current density of 56 pA/cm2 at −35 °C and the energy resolution of 200 eV(FWHM) at 5.9 keV and 280 eV (FWHM) at 13.95 keV. PMID:29295523

Spatio-energetic cross talk in photon counting detectors: Detector model and correlated Poisson data generator.

PubMed

Taguchi, Katsuyuki; Polster, Christoph; Lee, Okkyun; Stierstorfer, Karl; Kappler, Steffen

2016-12-01

An x-ray photon interacts with photon counting detectors (PCDs) and generates an electron charge cloud or multiple clouds. The clouds (thus, the photon energy) may be split between two adjacent PCD pixels when the interaction occurs near pixel boundaries, producing a count at both of the pixels. This is called double-counting with charge sharing. (A photoelectric effect with K-shell fluorescence x-ray emission would result in double-counting as well). As a result, PCD data are spatially and energetically correlated, although the output of individual PCD pixels is Poisson distributed. Major problems include the lack of a detector noise model for the spatio-energetic cross talk and lack of a computationally efficient simulation tool for generating correlated Poisson data. A Monte Carlo (MC) simulation can accurately simulate these phenomena and produce noisy data; however, it is not computationally efficient. In this study, the authors developed a new detector model and implemented it in an efficient software simulator that uses a Poisson random number generator to produce correlated noisy integer counts. The detector model takes the following effects into account: (1) detection efficiency; (2) incomplete charge collection and ballistic effect; (3) interaction with PCDs via photoelectric effect (with or without K-shell fluorescence x-ray emission, which may escape from the PCDs or be reabsorbed); and (4) electronic noise. The correlation was modeled by using these two simplifying assumptions: energy conservation and mutual exclusiveness. The mutual exclusiveness is that no more than two pixels measure energy from one photon. The effect of model parameters has been studied and results were compared with MC simulations. The agreement, with respect to the spectrum, was evaluated using the reduced χ 2 statistics or a weighted sum of squared errors, χ red 2 (≥1), where χ red 2 =1 indicates a perfect fit. The model produced spectra with flat field irradiation that

Active pixel sensor array as a detector for electron microscopy.

PubMed

Milazzo, Anna-Clare; Leblanc, Philippe; Duttweiler, Fred; Jin, Liang; Bouwer, James C; Peltier, Steve; Ellisman, Mark; Bieser, Fred; Matis, Howard S; Wieman, Howard; Denes, Peter; Kleinfelder, Stuart; Xuong, Nguyen-Huu

2005-09-01

A new high-resolution recording device for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is urgently needed. Neither film nor CCD cameras are systems that allow for efficient 3-D high-resolution particle reconstruction. We tested an active pixel sensor (APS) array as a replacement device at 200, 300, and 400 keV using a JEOL JEM-2000 FX II and a JEM-4000 EX electron microscope. For this experiment, we used an APS prototype with an area of 64 x 64 pixels of 20 microm x 20 microm pixel pitch. Single-electron events were measured by using very low beam intensity. The histogram of the incident electron energy deposited in the sensor shows a Landau distribution at low energies, as well as unexpected events at higher absorbed energies. After careful study, we concluded that backscattering in the silicon substrate and re-entering the sensitive epitaxial layer a second time with much lower speed caused the unexpected events. Exhaustive simulation experiments confirmed the existence of these back-scattered electrons. For the APS to be usable, the back-scattered electron events must be eliminated, perhaps by thinning the substrate to less than 30 microm. By using experimental data taken with an APS chip with a standard silicon substrate (300 microm) and adjusting the results to take into account the effect of a thinned silicon substrate (30 microm), we found an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio for a back-thinned detector in the energy range of 200-400 keV was about 10:1 and an estimate for the spatial resolution was about 10 microm.

The Cryogenic Anti-Coincidence detector for ATHENA X-IFU: pulse analysis of the AC-S7 single pixel prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Andrea, M.; Argan, A.; Lotti, S.; Macculi, C.; Piro, L.; Biasotti, M.; Corsini, D.; Gatti, F.; Torrioli, G.

2016-07-01

The ATHENA observatory is the second large-class mission in ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, with a launch foreseen in 2028 towards the L2 orbit. The mission addresses the science theme "The Hot and Energetic Universe", by coupling a high-performance X-ray Telescope with two complementary focal-plane instruments. One of these is the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU): it is a TES based kilo-pixel order array able to provide spatially resolved high-resolution spectroscopy (2.5 eV at 6 keV) over a 5 arcmin FoV. The X-IFU sensitivity is degraded by the particles background expected at L2 orbit, which is induced by primary protons of both galactic and solar origin, and mostly by secondary electrons. To reduce the background level and enable the mission science goals, a Cryogenic Anticoincidence (CryoAC) detector is placed < 1 mm below the TES array. It is a 4- pixel TES based detector, with wide Silicon absorbers sensed by Ir:Au TESes. The CryoAC development schedule foresees by Q1 2017 the delivery of a Demonstration Model (DM) to the X-IFU FPA development team. The DM is a single-pixel detector that will address the final design of the CryoAC. It will verify some representative requirements at single-pixel level, especially the detector operation at 50 mK thermal bath and the threshold energy at 20 keV. To reach the final DM design we have developed and tested the AC-S7 prototype, with 1 cm2 absorber area sensed by 65 Ir TESes. Here we will discuss the pulse analysis of this detector, which has been illuminated by the 60 keV line from a 241Am source. First, we will present the analysis performed to investigate pulses timings and spectrum, and to disentangle the athermal component of the pulses from the thermal one. Furthermore, we will show the application to our dataset of an alternative method of pulse processing, based upon Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This kind of analysis allow us to recover better energy spectra than achievable with traditional methods

Submillisecond X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy from a pixel array detector with fast dual gating and no readout dead-time

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Qingteng; Dufresne, Eric M.; Grybos, Pawel; ...

2016-04-19

Small-angle scattering X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) studies were performed using a novel photon-counting pixel array detector with dual counters for each pixel. Each counter can be read out independently from the other to ensure there is no readout dead-time between the neighboring frames. A maximum frame rate of 11.8 kHz was achieved. Results on test samples show good agreement with simple diffusion. Lastly, the potential of extending the time resolution of XPCS beyond the limit set by the detector frame rate using dual counters is also discussed.

Submillisecond X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy from a pixel array detector with fast dual gating and no readout dead-time

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Qingteng; Dufresne, Eric M.; Grybos, Pawel

Small-angle scattering X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) studies were performed using a novel photon-counting pixel array detector with dual counters for each pixel. Each counter can be read out independently from the other to ensure there is no readout dead-time between the neighboring frames. A maximum frame rate of 11.8 kHz was achieved. Results on test samples show good agreement with simple diffusion. Lastly, the potential of extending the time resolution of XPCS beyond the limit set by the detector frame rate using dual counters is also discussed.

Submillisecond X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy from a pixel array detector with fast dual gating and no readout dead-time.

PubMed

Zhang, Qingteng; Dufresne, Eric M; Grybos, Pawel; Kmon, Piotr; Maj, Piotr; Narayanan, Suresh; Deptuch, Grzegorz W; Szczygiel, Robert; Sandy, Alec

2016-05-01

Small-angle scattering X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) studies were performed using a novel photon-counting pixel array detector with dual counters for each pixel. Each counter can be read out independently from the other to ensure there is no readout dead-time between the neighboring frames. A maximum frame rate of 11.8 kHz was achieved. Results on test samples show good agreement with simple diffusion. The potential of extending the time resolution of XPCS beyond the limit set by the detector frame rate using dual counters is also discussed.

A new imaging method for understanding chemical dynamics: efficient slice imaging using an in-vacuum pixel detector.

PubMed

Jungmann, J H; Gijsbertsen, A; Visser, J; Visschers, J; Heeren, R M A; Vrakking, M J J

2010-10-01

The implementation of the Timepix complementary metal oxide semiconductor pixel detector in velocity map slice imaging is presented. This new detector approach eliminates the need for gating the imaging detector. In time-of-flight mode, the detector returns the impact position and the time-of-flight of charged particles with 12.5 ns resolution and a dynamic range of about 100 μs. The implementation of the Timepix detector in combination with a microchannel plate additionally allows for high spatial resolution information via center-of-mass centroiding. Here, the detector was applied to study the photodissociation of NO(2) at 452 nm. The energy resolution observed in the experiment was ΔE/E=0.05 and is limited by the experimental setup rather than by the detector assembly. All together, this new compact detector assembly is well-suited for slice imaging and is a promising tool for imaging studies in atomic and molecular physics research.

Neutron - Alpha irradiation response of superheated emulsion detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felizardo, M.; Morlat, T.; Girard, T. A.; Kling, A.; Fernandes, A. C.; Marques, J. G.; Carvalho, F.; Ramos, A. R.

2017-08-01

We report new experimental investigations of the response of single superheated emulsion detectors with small droplet (<30 μm radii) size distributions to both α- and neutron irradiations. Analysis of the results in terms of the underlying detector physics yields a toy model which reasonably reproduces the observations, and identifies the initial energy of the α in the liquid and distribution of droplet sizes as primarily responsible for the detector capacity to distinguish between nuclear recoil and α events.

Results from the NA62 Gigatracker Prototype: A Low-Mass and sub-ns Time Resolution Silicon Pixel Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorini, M.; Rinella, G. Aglieri; Carassiti, V.; Ceccucci, A.; Gil, E. Cortina; Ramusino, A. Cotta; Dellacasa, G.; Garbolino, S.; Jarron, P.; Kaplon, J.; Kluge, A.; Marchetto, F.; Mapelli, A.; Martin, E.; Mazza, G.; Morel, M.; Noy, M.; Nuessle, G.; Petagna, P.; Petrucci, F.; Perktold, L.; Riedler, P.; Rivetti, A.; Statera, M.; Velghe, B.

The Gigatracker (GTK) is a hybrid silicon pixel detector developed for NA62, the experiment aimed at studying ultra-rare kaon decays at the CERN SPS. Three GTK stations will provide precise momentum and angular measurements on every track of the high intensity NA62 hadron beam with a time-tagging resolution of 150 ps. Multiple scattering and hadronic interactions of beam particles in the GTK have to be minimized to keep background events at acceptable levels, hence the total material budget is fixed to 0.5% X0 per station. In addition the calculated fluence for 100 days of running is 2×1014 1 MeV neq/cm2, comparable to the one expected for the inner trackers of LHC detectors in 10 years of operation. These requirements pose challenges for the development of an efficient and low-mass cooling system, to be operated in vacuum, and on the thinning of read-out chips to 100 μm or less. The most challenging requirement is represented by the time resolution, which can be achieved by carefully compensating for the discriminator time-walk. For this purpose, two complementary read-out architectures have been designed and produced as small-scale prototypes: the first is based on the use of a Time-over-Threshold circuit followed by a TDC shared by a group of pixels, while the other uses a constant-fraction discriminator followed by an on-pixel TDC. The readout pixel ASICs are produced in 130 nm IBM CMOS technology and bump-bonded to 200 μm thick silicon sensors. The Gigatracker detector system is described with particular emphasis on recent experimental results obtained from laboratory and beam tests of prototype bump-bonded assemblies, which show a time resolution of less than 200 ps for single hits.

Status and Construction of the Belle II DEPFET pixel system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lütticke, Florian

2014-06-01

DEpleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor (DEPFET) active pixel detectors combine detection with a first amplification stage in a fully depleted detector, resulting in an superb signal-to-noise ratio even for thin sensors. Two layers of thin (75 micron) silicon DEPFET pixels will be used as the innermost vertex system, very close to the beam pipe in the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB facility. The status of the 8 million DEPFET pixels detector, latest developments and current system tests will be discussed.

Charge collection in Si detectors irradiated in situ at superfluid helium temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verbitskaya, Elena; Eremin, Vladimir; Zabrodskii, Andrei; Dehning, Bernd; Kurfürst, Christoph; Sapinski, Mariusz; Bartosik, Marcin R.; Egorov, Nicolai; Härkönen, Jaakko

2015-10-01

Silicon and diamond detectors operated in a superfluid helium bath are currently being considered for the upgrade of the LHC beam loss monitoring system. The detectors would be installed in immediate proximity of the superconducting coils of the triplet magnets. We present here the results of the in situ irradiation test for silicon detectors using 23 GeV protons while keeping the detectors at a temperature of 1.9 K. Red laser (630 nm) Transient Current Technique and DC current measurements were used to study the pulse response and collected charge for silicon detectors irradiated to a maximum radiation fluence of 1×1016 p/cm2. The dependence between collected charge and irradiation fluence was parameterized using the Hecht equation and assumption of a uniform electric field distribution. The collected charge was found to degrade with particle fluence for both bias polarities. We observed that the main factor responsible for this degradation was related to trapping of holes on the donor-type radiation-induced defects. In contrast to expectations, along with formation of donors, acceptor-type defects (electron traps) are introduced into the silicon bulk. This suggests that the current models describing charge collection in irradiated silicon detectors require an extension for taking into account trapping at low temperatures with a contribution of shallow levels. New in situ irradiation tests are needed and planned now to extend statistics of the results and gain a deeper insight into the physics of low temperature detector operation in harsh radiation environment.

Development of depth encoding small animal PET detectors using dual-ended readout of pixelated scintillator arrays with SiPMs.

PubMed

Kuang, Zhonghua; Sang, Ziru; Wang, Xiaohui; Fu, Xin; Ren, Ning; Zhang, Xianming; Zheng, Yunfei; Yang, Qian; Hu, Zhanli; Du, Junwei; Liang, Dong; Liu, Xin; Zheng, Hairong; Yang, Yongfeng

2018-02-01

The performance of current small animal PET scanners is mainly limited by the detector performance and depth encoding detectors are required to develop PET scanner to simultaneously achieve high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. Among all depth encoding PET detector approaches, dual-ended readout detector has the advantage to achieve the highest depth of interaction (DOI) resolution and spatial resolution. Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is believed to be the photodetector of the future for PET detector due to its excellent properties as compared to the traditional photodetectors such as photomultiplier tube (PMT) and avalanche photodiode (APD). The purpose of this work is to develop high resolution depth encoding small animal PET detector using dual-ended readout of finely pixelated scintillator arrays with SiPMs. Four lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) arrays with 11 × 11 crystals and 11.6 × 11.6 × 20 mm 3 outside dimension were made using ESR, Toray and BaSO 4 reflectors. The LYSO arrays were read out with Hamamatsu 4 × 4 SiPM arrays from both ends. The SiPM array has a pixel size of 3 × 3 mm 2 , 0.2 mm gap in between the pixels and a total active area of 12.6 × 12.6 mm 2 . The flood histograms, DOI resolution, energy resolution and timing resolution of the four detector modules were measured and compared. All crystals can be clearly resolved from the measured flood histograms of all four arrays. The BaSO 4 arrays provide the best and the ESR array provides the worst flood histograms. The DOI resolution obtained from the DOI profiles of the individual crystals of the four array is from 2.1 to 2.35 mm for events with E > 350 keV. The DOI ratio variation among crystals is bigger for the BaSO 4 arrays as compared to both the ESR and Toray arrays. The BaSO 4 arrays provide worse detector based DOI resolution. The photopeak amplitude of the Toray array had the maximum change with depth, it provides the worst energy resolution of

Imaging properties of pixellated scintillators with deep pixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, H. Bradford; Fastje, David; Lemieux, Daniel; Grim, Gary P.; Furenlid, Lars R.; Miller, Brian W.; Parkhurst, Philip; Nagarkar, Vivek V.

2014-09-01

We have investigated the light-transport properties of scintillator arrays with long, thin pixels (deep pixels) for use in high-energy gamma-ray imaging. We compared 10x10 pixel arrays of YSO:Ce, LYSO:Ce and BGO (1mm x 1mm x 20 mm pixels) made by Proteus, Inc. with similar 10x10 arrays of LSO:Ce and BGO (1mm x 1mm x 15mm pixels) loaned to us by Saint-Gobain. The imaging and spectroscopic behaviors of these scintillator arrays are strongly affected by the choice of a reflector used as an inter-pixel spacer (3M ESR in the case of the Proteus arrays and white, diffuse-reflector for the Saint-Gobain arrays). We have constructed a 3700-pixel LYSO:Ce Prototype NIF Gamma-Ray Imager for use in diagnosing target compression in inertial confinement fusion. This system was tested at the OMEGA Laser and exhibited significant optical, inter-pixel cross-talk that was traced to the use of a single-layer of ESR film as an inter-pixel spacer. We show how the optical cross-talk can be mapped, and discuss correction procedures. We demonstrate a 10x10 YSO:Ce array as part of an iQID (formerly BazookaSPECT) imager and discuss issues related to the internal activity of 176Lu in LSO:Ce and LYSO:Ce detectors.

Imaging properties of pixellated scintillators with deep pixels

PubMed Central

Barber, H. Bradford; Fastje, David; Lemieux, Daniel; Grim, Gary P.; Furenlid, Lars R.; Miller, Brian W.; Parkhurst, Philip; Nagarkar, Vivek V.

2015-01-01

We have investigated the light-transport properties of scintillator arrays with long, thin pixels (deep pixels) for use in high-energy gamma-ray imaging. We compared 10×10 pixel arrays of YSO:Ce, LYSO:Ce and BGO (1mm × 1mm × 20 mm pixels) made by Proteus, Inc. with similar 10×10 arrays of LSO:Ce and BGO (1mm × 1mm × 15mm pixels) loaned to us by Saint-Gobain. The imaging and spectroscopic behaviors of these scintillator arrays are strongly affected by the choice of a reflector used as an inter-pixel spacer (3M ESR in the case of the Proteus arrays and white, diffuse-reflector for the Saint-Gobain arrays). We have constructed a 3700-pixel LYSO:Ce Prototype NIF Gamma-Ray Imager for use in diagnosing target compression in inertial confinement fusion. This system was tested at the OMEGA Laser and exhibited significant optical, inter-pixel cross-talk that was traced to the use of a single-layer of ESR film as an inter-pixel spacer. We show how the optical cross-talk can be mapped, and discuss correction procedures. We demonstrate a 10×10 YSO:Ce array as part of an iQID (formerly BazookaSPECT) imager and discuss issues related to the internal activity of 176Lu in LSO:Ce and LYSO:Ce detectors. PMID:26236070

On the possibility to use semiconductive hybrid pixel detectors for study of radiation belt of the Earth.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guskov, A.; Shelkov, G.; Smolyanskiy, P.; Zhemchugov, A.

2016-02-01

The scientific apparatus GAMMA-400 designed for study of electromagnetic and hadron components of cosmic rays will be launched to an elliptic orbit with the apogee of about 300 000 km and the perigee of about 500 km. Such a configuration of the orbit allows it to cross periodically the radiation belt and the outer part of magnetosphere. We discuss the possibility to use hybrid pixel detecters based on the Timepix chip and semiconductive sensors on board the GAMMA-400 apparatus. Due to high granularity of the sensor (pixel size is 55 mum) and possibility to measure independently an energy deposition in each pixel, such compact and lightweight detector could be a unique instrument for study of spatial, energy and time structure of electron and proton components of the radiation belt.

Gossip: Gaseous pixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koffeman, E. N.

2007-12-01

Several years ago a revolutionary miniature TPC was developed using a pixel chip with a Micromegas foil spanned over it. To overcome the mechanical stability problems and improve the positioning accuracy while spanning a foil on top of a small readout chip a process has been developed in which a Micromegas-like grid is applied on a CMOS wafer in a post-processing step. This aluminum grid is supported on insulating pillars that are created by etching after the grid has been made. The energy resolution (measured on the absorption of the X-rays from a 55Fe source) was remarkably good. Several geometries have since been tested and we now believe that a Gas On Slimmed Silicon Pixel chip' (Gossip) may be realized. The drift region of such a gaseous pixel detector would be reduced to a millimeter. Such a detector is potentially very radiation hard (SLHC vertexing) but aging and sparking must be eliminated.

High-dynamic-range coherent diffractive imaging: ptychography using the mixed-mode pixel array detector

PubMed Central

Giewekemeyer, Klaus; Philipp, Hugh T.; Wilke, Robin N.; Aquila, Andrew; Osterhoff, Markus; Tate, Mark W.; Shanks, Katherine S.; Zozulya, Alexey V.; Salditt, Tim; Gruner, Sol M.; Mancuso, Adrian P.

2014-01-01

Coherent (X-ray) diffractive imaging (CDI) is an increasingly popular form of X-ray microscopy, mainly due to its potential to produce high-resolution images and the lack of an objective lens between the sample and its corresponding imaging detector. One challenge, however, is that very high dynamic range diffraction data must be collected to produce both quantitative and high-resolution images. In this work, hard X-ray ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging has been performed at the P10 beamline of the PETRA III synchrotron to demonstrate the potential of a very wide dynamic range imaging X-ray detector (the Mixed-Mode Pixel Array Detector, or MM-PAD). The detector is capable of single photon detection, detecting fluxes exceeding 1 × 108 8-keV photons pixel−1 s−1, and framing at 1 kHz. A ptychographic reconstruction was performed using a peak focal intensity on the order of 1 × 1010 photons µm−2 s−1 within an area of approximately 325 nm × 603 nm. This was done without need of a beam stop and with a very modest attenuation, while ‘still’ images of the empty beam far-field intensity were recorded without any attenuation. The treatment of the detector frames and CDI methodology for reconstruction of non-sensitive detector regions, partially also extending the active detector area, are described. PMID:25178008

A CMOS-based high-resolution fluoroscope (HRF) detector prototype with 49.5μm pixels for use in endovascular image guided interventions (EIGI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russ, M.; Shankar, A.; Setlur Nagesh, S. V.; Ionita, C. N.; Bednarek, D. R.; Rudin, S.

2017-03-01

X-ray detectors to meet the high-resolution requirements for endovascular image-guided interventions (EIGIs) are being developed and evaluated. A new 49.5-micron pixel prototype detector is being investigated and compared to the current suite of high-resolution fluoroscopic (HRF) detectors. This detector featuring a 300-micron thick CsI(Tl) scintillator, and low electronic noise CMOS readout is designated the HRF- CMOS50. To compare the abilities of this detector with other existing high resolution detectors, a standard performance metric analysis was applied, including the determination of the modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectra (NPS), noise equivalent quanta (NEQ), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for a range of energies and exposure levels. The advantage of the smaller pixel size and reduced blurring due to the thin phosphor was exemplified when the MTF of the HRF-CMOS50 was compared to the other high resolution detectors, which utilize larger pixels, other optical designs or thicker scintillators. However, the thinner scintillator has the disadvantage of a lower quantum detective efficiency (QDE) for higher diagnostic x-ray energies. The performance of the detector as part of an imaging chain was examined by employing the generalized metrics GMTF, GNEQ, and GDQE, taking standard focal spot size and clinical imaging parameters into consideration. As expected, the disparaging effects of focal spot unsharpness, exacerbated by increasing magnification, degraded the higher-frequency performance of the HRF-CMOS50, while increasing scatter fraction diminished low-frequency performance. Nevertheless, the HRF-CMOS50 brings improved resolution capabilities for EIGIs, but would require increased sensitivity and dynamic range for future clinical application.

In situ two-dimensional imaging quick-scanning XAFS with pixel array detector.

PubMed

Tanida, Hajime; Yamashige, Hisao; Orikasa, Yuki; Oishi, Masatsugu; Takanashi, Yu; Fujimoto, Takahiro; Sato, Kenji; Takamatsu, Daiko; Murayama, Haruno; Arai, Hajime; Matsubara, Eiichiro; Uchimoto, Yoshiharu; Ogumi, Zempachi

2011-11-01

Quick-scanning X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements were performed in transmission mode using a PILATUS 100K pixel array detector (PAD). The method can display a two-dimensional image for a large area of the order of a centimetre with a spatial resolution of 0.2 mm at each energy point in the XAFS spectrum. The time resolution of the quick-scanning method ranged from 10 s to 1 min per spectrum depending on the energy range. The PAD has a wide dynamic range and low noise, so the obtained spectra have a good signal-to-noise ratio.

Precision Timing with shower maximum detectors based on pixelated micro-channel plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bornheim, A.; Apresyan, A.; Ronzhin, A.; Xie, S.; Spiropulu, M.; Trevor, J.; Pena, C.; Presutti, F.; Los, S.

2017-11-01

Future calorimeters and shower maximum detectors at high luminosity colliders need to be highly radiation resistant and very fast. One exciting option for such a detector is a calorimeter composed of a secondary emitter as the active element. In this report we outline the study and development of a secondary emission calorimeter prototype using micro-channel plates (MCP) as the active element, which directly amplify the electromagnetic shower signal. We demonstrate the feasibility of using a bare MCP within an inexpensive and robust housing without the need for any photo cathode, which is a key requirement for high radiation tolerance. Test beam measurements of the prototype were performed with 120 GeV primary protons and secondary beams at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, demonstrating basic calorimetric measurements and precision timing capabilities. Using multiple pixel readout on the MCP, we demonstrate a transverse spatial resolution of 0.8 mm, and time resolution better than 40 ps for electromagnetic showers.

Precision Timing with shower maximum detectors based on pixelated micro-channel plates

DOE PAGES

Bornheim, A.; Apresyan, A.; Ronzhin, A.; ...

2017-11-27

Future calorimeters and shower maximum detectors at high luminosity colliders need to be highly radiation resistant and very fast. One exciting option for such a detector is a calorimeter composed of a secondary emitter as the active element. Here, we outline the study and development of a secondary emission calorimeter prototype using micro-channel plates (MCP) as the active element, which directly amplify the electromagnetic shower signal. We also demonstrate the feasibility of using a bare MCP within an inexpensive and robust housing without the need for any photo cathode, which is a key requirement for high radiation tolerance. Test beammore » measurements of the prototype were performed with 120 GeV primary protons and secondary beams at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, demonstrating basic calorimetric measurements and precision timing capabilities. Using multiple pixel readout on the MCP, we demonstrate a transverse spatial resolution of 0.8 mm, and time resolution better than 40 ps for electromagnetic showers.« less

Precision Timing with shower maximum detectors based on pixelated micro-channel plates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bornheim, A.; Apresyan, A.; Ronzhin, A.

Future calorimeters and shower maximum detectors at high luminosity colliders need to be highly radiation resistant and very fast. One exciting option for such a detector is a calorimeter composed of a secondary emitter as the active element. Here, we outline the study and development of a secondary emission calorimeter prototype using micro-channel plates (MCP) as the active element, which directly amplify the electromagnetic shower signal. We also demonstrate the feasibility of using a bare MCP within an inexpensive and robust housing without the need for any photo cathode, which is a key requirement for high radiation tolerance. Test beammore » measurements of the prototype were performed with 120 GeV primary protons and secondary beams at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, demonstrating basic calorimetric measurements and precision timing capabilities. Using multiple pixel readout on the MCP, we demonstrate a transverse spatial resolution of 0.8 mm, and time resolution better than 40 ps for electromagnetic showers.« less

Shadow-free single-pixel imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shunhua; Zhang, Zibang; Ma, Xiao; Zhong, Jingang

2017-11-01

Single-pixel imaging is an innovative imaging scheme and receives increasing attention in recent years, for it is applicable for imaging at non-visible wavelengths and imaging under weak light conditions. However, as in conventional imaging, shadows would likely occur in single-pixel imaging and sometimes bring negative effects in practical uses. In this paper, the principle of shadows occurrence in single-pixel imaging is analyzed, following which a technique for shadows removal is proposed. In the proposed technique, several single-pixel detectors are used to detect the backscattered light at different locations so that the shadows in the reconstructed images corresponding to each detector shadows are complementary. Shadow-free reconstruction can be derived by fusing the shadow-complementary images using maximum selection rule. To deal with the problem of intensity mismatch in image fusion, we put forward a simple calibration. As experimentally demonstrated, the technique is able to reconstruct monochromatic and full-color shadow-free images.

Developing fine-pixel CdTe detectors for the next generation of high-resolution hard x-ray telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christe, Steven

Over the past decade, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been improving the angular resolution of hard X-ray (HXR; 20 "70 keV) optics to the point that we now routinely manufacture optics modules with an angular resolution of 20 arcsec Half Power Diameter (HDP), almost three times the performance of NuSTAR optics (Ramsey et al. 2013; Gubarev et al. 2013a; Atkins et al. 2013). New techniques are currently being developed to provide even higher angular resolution. High angular resolution HXR optics require detectors with a large number of fine pixels in order to adequately sample the telescope point spread function (PSF) over the entire field of view. Excessively over-sampling the PSF will increase readout noise and require more processing with no appreciable increase in image quality. An appropriate level of over-sampling is to have 3 pixels within the HPD. For the HERO mirrors, where the HPD is 26 arcsec over a 6-m focal length converts to 750 μm, the optimum pixel size is around 250 μm. At a 10-m focal length these detectors can support a 16 arcsec HPD. Of course, the detectors must also have high efficiency in the HXR region, good energy resolution, low background, low power requirements, and low sensitivity to radiation damage (Ramsey 2001). The ability to handle high counting rates is also desirable for efficient calibration. A collaboration between Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), MSFC, and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in the UK is developing precisely such detectors under an ongoing, funded APRA program (FY2015 to FY2017). The detectors use the RALdeveloped Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) dubbed HEXITEC, for High Energy X-Ray Imaging Technology. These HEXITEC ASICs can be bonded to 1- or 2- mm-thick Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) or Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) to create a fine (250 μm pitch) HXR detector (Jones et al. 2009; Seller et al. 2011). The objectives of this funded effort are to develop and test a HEXITEC

Development of a fast multi-line x-ray CT detector for NDT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, T.; Nachtrab, F.; Schlechter, T.; Neubauer, H.; Mühlbauer, J.; Schröpfer, S.; Ernst, J.; Firsching, M.; Schweiger, T.; Oberst, M.; Meyer, A.; Uhlmann, N.

2015-04-01

Typical X-ray detectors for non-destructive testing (NDT) are line detectors or area detectors, like e.g. flat panel detectors. Multi-line detectors are currently only available in medical Computed Tomography (CT) scanners. Compared to flat panel detectors, line and multi-line detectors can achieve much higher frame rates. This allows time-resolved 3D CT scans of an object under investigation. Also, an improved image quality can be achieved due to reduced scattered radiation from object and detector themselves. Another benefit of line and multi-line detectors is that very wide detectors can be assembled easily, while flat panel detectors are usually limited to an imaging field with a size of approx. 40 × 40 cm2 at maximum. The big disadvantage of line detectors is the limited number of object slices that can be scanned simultaneously. This leads to long scan times for large objects. Volume scans with a multi-line detector are much faster, but with almost similar image quality. Due to the promising properties of multi-line detectors their application outside of medical CT would also be very interesting for NDT. However, medical CT multi-line detectors are optimized for the scanning of human bodies. Many non-medical applications require higher spatial resolutions and/or higher X-ray energies. For those non-medical applications we are developing a fast multi-line X-ray detector.In the scope of this work, we present the current state of the development of the novel detector, which includes several outstanding properties like an adjustable curved design for variable focus-detector-distances, conserving nearly uniform perpendicular irradiation over the entire detector width. Basis of the detector is a specifically designed, radiation hard CMOS imaging sensor with a pixel pitch of 200 μ m. Each pixel has an automatic in-pixel gain adjustment, which allows for both: a very high sensitivity and a wide dynamic range. The final detector is planned to have 256 lines of

Toward VIP-PIX: A Low Noise Readout ASIC for Pixelated CdTe Gamma-Ray Detectors for Use in the Next Generation of PET Scanners.

PubMed

Macias-Montero, Jose-Gabriel; Sarraj, Maher; Chmeissani, Mokhtar; Puigdengoles, Carles; Lorenzo, Gianluca De; Martínez, Ricardo

2013-08-01

VIP-PIX will be a low noise and low power pixel readout electronics with digital output for pixelated Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) detectors. The proposed pixel will be part of a 2D pixel-array detector for various types of nuclear medicine imaging devices such as positron-emission tomography (PET) scanners, Compton gamma cameras, and positron-emission mammography (PEM) scanners. Each pixel will include a SAR ADC that provides the energy deposited with 10-bit resolution. Simultaneously, the self-triggered pixel which will be connected to a global time-to-digital converter (TDC) with 1 ns resolution will provide the event's time stamp. The analog part of the readout chain and the ADC have been fabricated with TSMC 0.25 μ m mixed-signal CMOS technology and characterized with an external test pulse. The power consumption of these parts is 200 μ W from a 2.5 V supply. It offers 4 switchable gains from ±10 mV/fC to ±40 mV/fC and an input charge dynamic range of up to ±70 fC for the minimum gain for both polarities. Based on noise measurements, the expected equivalent noise charge (ENC) is 65 e - RMS at room temperature.

SNR improvement for hyperspectral application using frame and pixel binning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehman, Sami Ur; Kumar, Ankush; Banerjee, Arup

2016-05-01

Hyperspectral imaging spectrometer systems are increasingly being used in the field of remote sensing for variety of civilian and military applications. The ability of such instruments in discriminating finer spectral features along with improved spatial and radiometric performance have made such instruments a powerful tool in the field of remote sensing. Design and development of spaceborne hyper spectral imaging spectrometers poses lot of technological challenges in terms of optics, dispersion element, detectors, electronics and mechanical systems. The main factors that define the type of detectors are the spectral region, SNR, dynamic range, pixel size, number of pixels, frame rate, operating temperature etc. Detectors with higher quantum efficiency and higher well depth are the preferred choice for such applications. CCD based Si detectors serves the requirement of high well depth for VNIR band spectrometers but suffers from smear. Smear can be controlled by using CMOS detectors. Si CMOS detectors with large format arrays are available. These detectors generally have smaller pitch and low well depth. Binning technique can be used with available CMOS detectors to meet the large swath, higher resolution and high SNR requirements. Availability of larger dwell time of satellite can be used to bin multiple frames to increase the signal collection even with lesser well depth detectors and ultimately increase the SNR. Lab measurements reveal that SNR improvement by frame binning is more in comparison to pixel binning. Effect of pixel binning as compared to the frame binning will be discussed and degradation of SNR as compared to theoretical value for pixel binning will be analyzed.

Optical sectioning in wide-field microscopy obtained by dynamic structured light illumination and detection based on a smart pixel detector array.

PubMed

Mitić, Jelena; Anhut, Tiemo; Meier, Matthias; Ducros, Mathieu; Serov, Alexander; Lasser, Theo

2003-05-01

Optical sectioning in wide-field microscopy is achieved by illumination of the object with a continuously moving single-spatial-frequency pattern and detecting the image with a smart pixel detector array. This detector performs an on-chip electronic signal processing that extracts the optically sectioned image. The optically sectioned image is directly observed in real time without any additional postprocessing.

Recent Results on Gridpix Detectors:. AN Integrated Micromegas Grid and a Micromegas Ageing Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chefdeville, M.; Aarts, A.; van der Graaf, H.; van der Putten, S.

2006-04-01

A new gas-filled detector combining a Micromegas with a CMOS pixel chip has been recently tested. A procedure to integrate the Micromegas grid onto silicon wafers (‘wafer post processing’) has been developed. We aim to eventually integrate the grid on top of wafers of CMOS pixel chips. The first part of this contribution describes an application in vertex detection (GOSSIP). Then tests of the first detector prototype of a grid integrated on a bare silicon wafer are shown. Finally an ageing test of a Micromegas chamber is presented. After verifying the chambers' proportionality at a very high dose rates, the device was irradiated until ageing became apparent.

Evaluation of the breakdown behaviour of ATLAS silicon pixel sensors after partial guard-ring removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goessling, C.; Klingenberg, R.; Muenstermann, D.; Wittig, T.

2010-12-01

To avoid geometrical inefficiencies in the ATLAS pixel detector, the concept of shingling is used up to now in the barrel section. For the upgrades of ATLAS, it is desired to avoid this as it increases the volume and material budget of the pixel layers and complicates the cooling. A direct planar edge-to-edge arrangement of pixel modules has not been possible in the past due to about 1100 μm of inactive edge composed of approximately 600 μm of guard rings and 500 μm of safety margin. In this work, the safety margin and guard rings of ATLAS SingleChip sensors were cut at different positions using a standard diamond dicing saw and irradiated afterwards to explore the breakdown behaviour and the leakage current development. It is found that the inactive edge can be reduced to about 400 μm of guard rings with almost no reduction in pre-irradiation testability and leakage current performance. This is in particular important for the insertable b-layer upgrade of ATLAS (IBL) where inactive edges of less than 450 μm width are required.

Tiled Array of Pixelated CZT Imaging Detectors for ProtoEXIST2 and MIRAX-HXI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Jaesub; Allen, Branden; Grindlay, Jonathan; Rodrigues, Barbara; Ellis, Jon Robert; Baker, Robert; Barthelmy, Scott; Mao, Peter; Miyasaka, Hiromasa; Apple, Jeff

2013-12-01

We have assembled a tiled array (220 cm2) of fine pixel (0.6 mm) imaging CZT detectors for a balloon borne wide-field hard X-ray telescope, ProtoEXIST2. ProtoEXIST2 is a prototype experiment for a next generation hard X-ray imager MIRAX-HXI on board Lattes, a spacecraft from the Agencia Espacial Brasilieira. MIRAX will survey the 5 to 200 keV sky of Galactic bulge, adjoining southern Galactic plane and the extragalactic sky with 6 ' angular resolution. This survey will open a vast discovery space in timing studies of accretion neutron stars and black holes. The ProtoEXIST2 CZT detector plane consists of 64 of 5 mm thick 2 cm × 2 cm CZT crystals tiled with a minimal gap. MIRAX will consist of 4 such detector planes, each of which will be imaged with its own coded-aperture mask. We present the packaging architecture and assembly procedure of the ProtoEXIST2 detector. On 2012, Oct 10, we conducted a successful high altitude balloon experiment of the ProtoEXIST1 and 2 telescopes, which demonstrates their technology readiness for space application. During the flight both telescopes performed as well as on the ground. We report the results of ground calibration and the initial results for the detector performance in the balloon flight.

Detailed Studies of Pixelated CZT Detectors Grown with the Modified Horizontal Bridgman Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, I.; Krawczynski, H.; Burger, A.; Guo, M.; Groza, M.

2007-01-01

The detector material Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) achieves excellent spatial resolution and good energy resolution over a broad energy range, several keV up to some MeV. Presently, there are two main methods to grow CZT crystals, the Modified High-Pressure Bridgman (MHB) and the High-Pressure Bridgman (HPB) process. The study presented in this paper is based on MHB CZT substrates from the company Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd. [Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd., 10 Plaut St., Park Rabin, P.O. Box 2489, Rehovot, Israel, 76124]. Former studies have shown that high-work-function materials on the cathode side reduce the leakage current and, therefore, improve the energy resolution at lower energies. None of the studies have emphasized on the anode contact material. Therefore, we present in this paper the result of a detailed study in which for the first time the cathode material was kept constant and the anode material was varied. We used four different anode materials: Indium, Titanium, Chromium and Gold, metals with work-functions between 4.1 eV and 5.1 eV. The detector size was 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.5 cu cm with 8 x 8 pixels and a pitch of 2.46 mm. The best performance was achieved with the low-work-function materials Indium and Titanium with energy resolutions of 2.0 keV (at 59 keV) and 1.9 keV (at 122 keV) for Titanium and 2.1 keV (at 59 keV) and 2.9 keV (at 122 keV) for Indium. Taking into account the large pixel pitch of 2.46 mm, these resolutions are very competitive in comparison to those achieved with detectors made of material produced with the more expensive conventional HPB method. We present a detailed comparison of our detector response with 3D simulations. The latter comparisons allow us to determine the mobility-lifetime-products (mu tau-products) for electrons and holes. Finally, we evaluated the temperature dependency of the detector performance and ls-products. For many applications temperature dependence is important, therefore, we extended the scope of

Coded aperture detector: an image sensor with sub 20-nm pixel resolution.

PubMed

Miyakawa, Ryan; Mayer, Rafael; Wojdyla, Antoine; Vannier, Nicolas; Lesser, Ian; Aron-Dine, Shifrah; Naulleau, Patrick

2014-08-11

We describe the coded aperture detector, a novel image sensor based on uniformly redundant arrays (URAs) with customizable pixel size, resolution, and operating photon energy regime. In this sensor, a coded aperture is scanned laterally at the image plane of an optical system, and the transmitted intensity is measured by a photodiode. The image intensity is then digitally reconstructed using a simple convolution. We present results from a proof-of-principle optical prototype, demonstrating high-fidelity image sensing comparable to a CCD. A 20-nm half-pitch URA fabricated by the Center for X-ray Optics (CXRO) nano-fabrication laboratory is presented that is suitable for high-resolution image sensing at EUV and soft X-ray wavelengths.

Image Accumulation in Pixel Detector Gated by Late External Trigger Signal and its Application in Imaging Activation Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jakubek, J.; Cejnarova, A.; Platkevic, M.

Single quantum counting pixel detectors of Medipix type are starting to be used in various radiographic applications. Compared to standard devices for digital imaging (such as CCDs or CMOS sensors) they present significant advantages: direct conversion of radiation to electric signal, energy sensitivity, noiseless image integration, unlimited dynamic range, absolute linearity. In this article we describe usage of the pixel device TimePix for image accumulation gated by late trigger signal. Demonstration of the technique is given on imaging coincidence instrumental neutron activation analysis (Imaging CINAA). This method allows one to determine concentration and distribution of certain preselected element in anmore » inspected sample.« less

A comparative study of silicon detector degradation under irradiation by heavy ions and relativistic protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eremin, V.; Mitina, D.; Fomichev, A.; Kiselev, O.; Egorov, N.; Eremin, I.; Shepelev, A.; Verbitskaya, E.

2018-01-01

Silicon detectors irradiated by 40Ar ions with the energy of 1.62 GeV were studied with the goal to find the parameters of radiation damage induced by ions. The measurements of the I-V characteristics, temperature dependences of the detector bulk current, deep level spectra and current pulse response were carried out for detectors irradiated within the fluence range 5×1010-2.3×1013 ion/cm2 and the obtained results were compared with the corresponding data for detectors irradiated by 23 GeV protons. It is shown that the processes of defect introduction by ions and overall radiation damage are similar to those induced by 23 GeV protons, while the introduction rates of radiation defects and current generation centers are about ten times higher for irradiation by 40Ar ions. The fact that these processes have much in common gives grounds to use the physical models and characteristic parametrization such as those developed earlier for detectors irradiated by protons and neutrons to build the long-term scenario of Si detector operation in the Time-Of-Flight diagnostic system of Super FRagment Separator designed at GSI for the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, FAIR.

iPadPix—A novel educational tool to visualise radioactivity measured by a hybrid pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, O.; Schmeling, S.; Müller, A.; Benoit, M.

2016-11-01

With the ability to attribute signatures of ionising radiation to certain particle types, pixel detectors offer a unique advantage over the traditional use of Geiger-Müller tubes also in educational settings. We demonstrate in this work how a Timepix readout chip combined with a standard 300μm pixelated silicon sensor can be used to visualise radioactivity in real-time and by means of augmented reality. The chip family is the result of technology transfer from High Energy Physics at CERN and facilitated by the Medipix Collaboration. This article summarises the development of a prototype based on an iPad mini and open source software detailed in ref. [1]. Appropriate experimental activities that explore natural radioactivity and everyday objects are given to demonstrate the use of this new tool in educational settings.

Ultrasensitive Kilo-Pixel Imaging Array of Photon Noise-Limited Kinetic Inductance Detectors Over an Octave of Bandwidth for THz Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bueno, J.; Murugesan, V.; Karatsu, K.; Thoen, D. J.; Baselmans, J. J. A.

2018-05-01

We present the development of a background-limited kilo-pixel imaging array of ultrawide bandwidth kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) suitable for space-based THz astronomy applications. The array consists of 989 KIDs, in which the radiation is coupled to each KID via a leaky lens antenna, covering the frequency range between 1.4 and 2.8 THz. The single pixel performance is fully characterised using a representative small array in terms of sensitivity, optical efficiency, beam pattern and frequency response, matching very well its expected performance. The kilo-pixel array is characterised electrically, finding a yield larger than 90% and an averaged noise-equivalent power lower than 3 × 10^{-19} W/Hz^{1/2} . The interaction between the kilo-pixel array and cosmic rays is studied, with an expected dead time lower than 0.6% when operated in an L2 or a similar far-Earth orbit.

Development of CMOS pixel sensors for the upgrade of the ALICE Inner Tracking System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molnar, L.

2014-12-01

The ALICE Collaboration is preparing a major upgrade of the current detector, planned for installation during the second long LHC shutdown in the years 2018-19, in order to enhance its low-momentum vertexing and tracking capability, and exploit the planned increase of the LHC luminosity with Pb beams. One of the cornerstones of the ALICE upgrade strategy is to replace the current Inner Tracking System in its entirety with a new, high resolution, low-material ITS detector. The new ITS will consist of seven concentric layers equipped with Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) implemented using the 0.18 μm CMOS technology of TowerJazz. In this contribution, the main key features of the ITS upgrade will be illustrated with emphasis on the functionality of the pixel chip. The ongoing developments on the readout architectures, which have been implemented in several fabricated prototypes, will be discussed. The operational features of these prototypes as well as the results of the characterisation tests before and after irradiation will also be presented.

Characterization of chromium compensated GaAs as an X-ray sensor material for charge-integrating pixel array detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, J.; Tate, M. W.; Shanks, K. S.; Philipp, H. T.; Weiss, J. T.; Purohit, P.; Chamberlain, D.; Gruner, S. M.

2018-01-01

We studied the properties of chromium compensated GaAs when coupled to charge integrating ASICs as a function of detector temperature, applied bias and X-ray tube energy. The material is a photoresistor and can be biased to collect either electrons or holes by the pixel circuitry. Both are studied here. Previous studies have shown substantial hole trapping. This trapping and other sensor properties give rise to several non-ideal effects which include an extended point spread function, variations in the effective pixel size, and rate dependent offset shifts. The magnitude of these effects varies with temperature and bias, mandating good temperature uniformity in the sensor and very good temperature stabilization, as well as a carefully selected bias voltage.

Junction-side illuminated silicon detector arrays

DOEpatents

Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Patt, Bradley E.; Tull, Carolyn

2004-03-30

A junction-side illuminated detector array of pixelated detectors is constructed on a silicon wafer. A junction contact on the front-side may cover the whole detector array, and may be used as an entrance window for light, x-ray, gamma ray and/or other particles. The back-side has an array of individual ohmic contact pixels. Each of the ohmic contact pixels on the back-side may be surrounded by a grid or a ring of junction separation implants. Effective pixel size may be changed by separately biasing different sections of the grid. A scintillator may be coupled directly to the entrance window while readout electronics may be coupled directly to the ohmic contact pixels. The detector array may be used as a radiation hardened detector for high-energy physics research or as avalanche imaging arrays.

CdTe X-ray detectors under strong optical irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cola, Adriano; Farella, Isabella

2014-11-17

The perturbation behaviour of Ohmic and Schottky CdTe detectors under strong optical pulses is investigated. To this scope, the electric field profiles and the induced charge transients are measured, thus simultaneously addressing fixed and free charges properties, interrelated by one-carrier trapping. The results elucidate the different roles of the contacts and deep levels, both under dark and strong irradiation conditions, and pave the way for the improvement of detector performance control under high X-ray fluxes.

Dose response of alanine detectors irradiated with carbon ion beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herrmann, Rochus; Jaekel, Oliver; Palmans, Hugo

Purpose: The dose response of the alanine detector shows a dependence on particle energy and type when irradiated with ion beams. The purpose of this study is to investigate the response behavior of the alanine detector in clinical carbon ion beams and compare the results to model predictions. Methods: Alanine detectors have been irradiated with carbon ions with an energy range of 89-400 MeV/u. The relative effectiveness of alanine has been measured in this regime. Pristine and spread out Bragg peak depth-dose curves have been measured with alanine dosimeters. The track structure based alanine response model developed by Hansen andmore » Olsen has been implemented in the Monte Carlo code FLUKA and calculations were compared to experimental results. Results: Calculations of the relative effectiveness deviate less than 5% from the measured values for monoenergetic beams. Measured depth-dose curves deviate from predictions in the peak region, most pronounced at the distal edge of the peak. Conclusions: The used model and its implementation show a good overall agreement for quasimonoenergetic measurements. Deviations in depth-dose measurements are mainly attributed to uncertainties of the detector geometry implemented in the Monte Carlo simulations.« less

The ALICE Pixel Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercado-Perez, Jorge

2002-07-01

The present document is a brief summary of the performed activities during the 2001 Summer Student Programme at CERN under the Scientific Summer at Foreign Laboratories Program organized by the Particles and Fields Division of the Mexican Physical Society (Sociedad Mexicana de Fisica). In this case, the activities were related with the ALICE Pixel Group of the EP-AIT Division, under the supervision of Jeroen van Hunen, research fellow in this group. First, I give an introduction and overview to the ALICE experiment; followed by a description of wafer probing. A brief summary of the test beam that we had from July 13th to July 25th is given as well.

Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutz, P.

In close collaboration with the group from Strasbourg, Saclay has been developing fast monolithic active pixel sensors for future vertex detectors. This presentation gives some recent results from the MIMOSA serie, emphazising the participation of the group.

Modeling of displacement damage in silicon carbide detectors resulting from neutron irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khorsandi, Behrooz

There is considerable interest in developing a power monitor system for Generation IV reactors (for instance GT-MHR). A new type of semiconductor radiation detector is under development based on silicon carbide (SiC) technology for these reactors. SiC has been selected as the semiconductor material due to its superior thermal-electrical-neutronic properties. Compared to Si, SiC is a radiation hard material; however, like Si, the properties of SiC are changed by irradiation by a large fluence of energetic neutrons, as a consequence of displacement damage, and that irradiation decreases the life-time of detectors. Predictions of displacement damage and the concomitant radiation effects are important for deciding where the SiC detectors should be placed. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop computer simulation methods to estimate the number of various defects created in SiC detectors, because of neutron irradiation, and predict at what positions of a reactor, SiC detectors could monitor the neutron flux with high reliability. The simulation modeling includes several well-known---and commercial---codes (MCNP5, TRIM, MARLOWE and VASP), and two kinetic Monte Carlo codes written by the author (MCASIC and DCRSIC). My dissertation will highlight the displacement damage that may happen in SiC detectors located in available positions in the OSURR, GT-MHR and IRIS. As extra modeling output data, the count rates of SiC for the specified locations are calculated. A conclusion of this thesis is SiC detectors that are placed in the thermal neutron region of a graphite moderator-reflector reactor have a chance to survive at least one reactor refueling cycle, while their count rates are acceptably high.

Direct tests of a pixelated microchannel plate as the active element of a shower maximum detector

DOE PAGES

Apresyan, A.; Los, S.; Pena, C.; ...

2016-05-07

One possibility to make a fast and radiation resistant shower maximum detector is to use a secondary emitter as an active element. We report our studies of microchannel plate photomultipliers (MCPs) as the active element of a shower-maximum detector. We present test beam results obtained using Photonis XP85011 to detect secondary particles of an electromagnetic shower. We focus on the use of the multiple pixels on the Photonis MCP in order to find a transverse two-dimensional shower distribution. A spatial resolution of 0.8 mm was obtained with an 8 GeV electron beam. As a result, a method for measuring themore » arrival time resolution for electromagnetic showers is presented, and we show that time resolution better than 40 ps can be achieved.« less

Direct tests of a pixelated microchannel plate as the active element of a shower maximum detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Apresyan, A.; Los, S.; Pena, C.

One possibility to make a fast and radiation resistant shower maximum detector is to use a secondary emitter as an active element. We report our studies of microchannel plate photomultipliers (MCPs) as the active element of a shower-maximum detector. We present test beam results obtained using Photonis XP85011 to detect secondary particles of an electromagnetic shower. We focus on the use of the multiple pixels on the Photonis MCP in order to find a transverse two-dimensional shower distribution. A spatial resolution of 0.8 mm was obtained with an 8 GeV electron beam. As a result, a method for measuring themore » arrival time resolution for electromagnetic showers is presented, and we show that time resolution better than 40 ps can be achieved.« less

Design and Test of a 65nm CMOS Front-End with Zero Dead Time for Next Generation Pixel Detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gaioni, L.; Braga, D.; Christian, D.

This work is concerned with the experimental characterization of a synchronous analog processor with zero dead time developed in a 65 nm CMOS technology, conceived for pixel detectors at the HL-LHC experiment upgrades. It includes a low noise, fast charge sensitive amplifier with detector leakage compensation circuit, and a compact, single ended comparator able to correctly process hits belonging to two consecutive bunch crossing periods. A 2-bit Flash ADC is exploited for digital conversion immediately after the preamplifier. A description of the circuits integrated in the front-end processor and the initial characterization results are provided

High density pixel array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McFall, James Earl (Inventor); Wiener-Avnear, Eliezer (Inventor)

2004-01-01

A pixel array device is fabricated by a laser micro-milling method under strict process control conditions. The device has an array of pixels bonded together with an adhesive filling the grooves between adjacent pixels. The array is fabricated by moving a substrate relative to a laser beam of predetermined intensity at a controlled, constant velocity along a predetermined path defining a set of grooves between adjacent pixels so that a predetermined laser flux per unit area is applied to the material, and repeating the movement for a plurality of passes of the laser beam until the grooves are ablated to a desired depth. The substrate is of an ultrasonic transducer material in one example for fabrication of a 2D ultrasonic phase array transducer. A substrate of phosphor material is used to fabricate an X-ray focal plane array detector.

Influence of detector pixel size, TOF resolution and DOI on image quality in MR-compatible whole-body PET.

PubMed

Thoen, Hendrik; Keereman, Vincent; Mollet, Pieter; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2013-09-21

The optimization of a whole-body PET system remains a challenging task, as the imaging performance is influenced by a complex interaction of different design parameters. However, it is not always clear which parameters have the largest impact on image quality and are most eligible for optimization. To determine this, we need to be able to assess their influence on image quality. We performed Monte-Carlo simulations of a whole-body PET scanner to predict the influence on image quality of three detector parameters: the TOF resolution, the transverse pixel size and depth-of-interaction (DOI)-correction. The inner diameter of the PET scanner was 65 cm, small enough to allow physical integration into a simultaneous PET-MR system. Point sources were used to evaluate the influence of transverse pixel size and DOI-correction on spatial resolution as function of radial distance. To evaluate the influence on contrast recovery and pixel noise a cylindrical phantom of 35 cm diameter was used, representing a large patient. The phantom contained multiple hot lesions with 5 mm diameter. These lesions were placed at radial distances of 50, 100 and 150 mm from the center of the field-of-view, to be able to study the effects at different radial positions. The non-prewhitening (NPW) observer was used for objective analysis of the detectability of the hot lesions in the cylindrical phantom. Based on this analysis the NPW-SNR was used to quantify the relative improvements in image quality due to changes of the variable detector parameters. The image quality of a whole-body PET scanner can be improved significantly by reducing the transverse pixel size from 4 to 2.6 mm and improving the TOF resolution from 600 to 400 ps and further from 400 to 200 ps. Compared to pixel size, the TOF resolution has the larger potential to increase image quality for the simulated phantom. The introduction of two layer DOI-correction only leads to a modest improvement for the spheres at radial

High-contrast X-ray micro-tomography of low attenuation samples using large area hybrid semiconductor pixel detector array of 10 × 5 Timepix chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karch, J.; Krejci, F.; Bartl, B.; Dudak, J.; Kuba, J.; Kvacek, J.; Zemlicka, J.

2016-01-01

State-of-the-art hybrid pixel semiconductor detectors provide excellent imaging properties such as unlimited dynamic range, high spatial resolution, high frame rate and energy sensitivity. Nevertheless, a limitation in the use of these devices for imaging has been the small sensitive area of a few square centimetres. In the field of microtomography we make use of a large area pixel detector assembled from 50 Timepix edgeless chips providing fully sensitive area of 14.3 × 7.15 cm2. We have successfully demonstrated that the enlargement of the sensitive area enables high-quality tomographic measurements of whole objects with high geometrical magnification without any significant degradation in resulting reconstructions related to the chip tilling and edgeless sensor technology properties. The technique of micro-tomography with the newly developed large area detector is applied for samples formed by low attenuation, low contrast materials such a seed from Phacelia tanacetifolia, a charcoalified wood sample and a beeswax seal sample.

Proton irradiation of CVD diamond detectors for high-luminosity experiments at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, D.; Adam, W.; Bauer, C.; Berdermann, E.; Bergonzo, P.; Bogani, F.; Borchi, E.; Bruzzi, M.; Colledani, C.; Conway, J.; Dabrowski, W.; Delpierre, P.; Deneuville, A.; Dulinski, W.; van Eijk, B.; Fallou, A.; Foulon, F.; Friedl, M.; Jany, C.; Gan, K. K.; Gheeraert, E.; Grigoriev, E.; Hallewell, G.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Han, S.; Hartjes, F.; Hrubec, J.; Husson, D.; Kagan, H.; Kania, D.; Kaplon, J.; Kass, R.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Krammer, M.; Manfredi, P. F.; Marshall, R. D.; Mishina, M.; Le Normand, F.; Pan, L. S.; Palmieri, V. G.; Pernegger, H.; Pernicka, M.; Peitz, A.; Pirollo, S.; Pretzl, K.; Re, V.; Riester, J. L.; Roe, S.; Roff, D.; Rudge, A.; Schnetzer, S.; Sciortino, S.; Speziali, V.; Stelzer, H.; Stone, R.; Tapper, R. J.; Tesarek, R.; Thomson, G. B.; Trawick, M.; Trischuk, W.; Turchetta, R.; Walsh, A. M.; Wedenig, R.; Weilhammer, P.; Ziock, H.; Zoeller, M.; RD42 Collaboration

1999-04-01

CVD diamond shows promising properties for use as a position-sensitive detector for experiments in the highest radiation areas at the Large Hadron Collider. In order to study the radiation hardness of diamond we exposed CVD diamond detector samples to 24 Gev/ c and 500 Mev protons up to a fluence of 5×10 15 p/cm 2. We measured the charge collection distance, the average distance electron-hole pairs move apart in an external electric field, and leakage currents before, during, and after irradiation. The charge collection distance remains unchanged up to 1×10 15 p/cm 2 and decreases by ≈40% at 5×10 15 p/cm 2. Leakage currents of diamond samples were below 1 pA before and after irradiation. The particle-induced currents during irradiation correlate well with the proton flux. In contrast to diamond, a silicon diode, which was irradiated for comparison, shows the known large increase in leakage current. We conclude that CVD diamond detectors are radiation hard to 24 GeV/ c and 500 MeV protons up to at least 1×10 15p/cm 2 without signal loss.

Applications of a micro-pixel chamber (μPIC) based, time-resolved neutron imaging detector at pulsed neutron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, J. D.; Harada, M.; Hattori, K.; Iwaki, S.; Kabuki, S.; Kishimoto, Y.; Kubo, H.; Kurosawa, S.; Matsuoka, Y.; Miuchi, K.; Mizumoto, T.; Nishimura, H.; Oku, T.; Sawano, T.; Shinohara, T.; Suzuki, J.-I.; Takada, A.; Tanimori, T.; Ueno, K.; Ikeno, M.; Tanaka, M.; Uchida, T.

2014-04-01

The realization of high-intensity, pulsed spallation neutron sources such as J-PARC in Japan and SNS in the US has brought time-of-flight (TOF) based neutron techniques to the fore and spurred the development of new detector technologies. When combined with high-resolution imaging, TOF-based methods become powerful tools for direct imaging of material properties, including crystal structure/internal strain, isotopic/temperature distributions, and internal and external magnetic fields. To carry out such measurements in the high-intensities and high gamma backgrounds found at spallation sources, we have developed a new time-resolved neutron imaging detector employing a micro-pattern gaseous detector known as the micro-pixel chamber (μPIC) coupled with a field-programmable-gate-array-based data acquisition system. The detector combines 100μm-level (σ) spatial and sub-μs time resolutions with low gamma sensitivity of less than 10-12 and a rate capability on the order of Mcps (mega-counts-per-second). Here, we demonstrate the application of our detector to TOF-based techniques with examples of Bragg-edge transmission and neutron resonance transmission imaging (with computed tomography) carried out at J-PARC. We also consider the direct imaging of magnetic fields with our detector using polarized neutrons.

Integration of the ATLAS FE-I4 Pixel Chip in the Mini Time Projection Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Thibodeaux, Mayra; Garcia-Sciveres, Maurice; Kadyk, John; Oliver-Mallory, Kelsey

2013-04-01

This project deals with development of readout for a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) prototype. This is a type of detector proposed for direct detection of dark matter (WIMPS) with direction information. The TPC is a gaseous charged particle tracking detector composed of a field cage and a gas avalanche detector. The latter is made of two Gas Electron Multipliers in series, illuminating a pixel readout integrated circuit, which measures the distribution in position and time of the output charge. We are testing the TPC prototype, filled with ArCO2 gas, using a Fe-55 x-ray source and cosmic rays. The present prototype uses an FE-I3 chip for readout. This chip was developed about 10 years ago and is presently in use within the ATLAS pixel detector at the LHC. The aim of this work is to upgrade the TPC prototype to use an FE-I4 chip. The FE-I4 has an active area of 336 mm^2 and 26880 pixels, over nine times the number of pixels in the FE-I3 chip, and an active area about six times as much. The FE-I4 chip represents the state of the art of pixel detector readout, and is presently being used to build an upgrade of the ATLAS pixel detector.

Examining the Spatial Frequency Components of a Digital Dental Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasiou, A.; Michail, C.; Koukou, V.; Martini, N.; Bakas, A.; Papastamati, F.; Maragkaki, P.; Lavdas, L.; Fountos, G.; Valais, I.; Kalyvas, N.

2017-11-01

Digital X-ray detectors are widely used in dental radiography. The scope of this work is the examination of the spatial frequency component of a dedicated dental CMOS detector. A commercially available SCHICK CDR CMOS detector was irradiated at a Del Medical Eureka X-ray system at 60kVp and 70kVp. The irradiation setup included images of an edge, for Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) calculation. The air-KERMA was measured with an RTI PIRANHA X-ray multimeter. The images were evaluated in ‘for presentation’ format with the use of ImageJ software. The linear range of the detector was found in the range 13μGy-183μGy at 60 kVp and 18μGy-180μGy at 70 kVp. By inspecting the MTF curves it was found that MTF(6lp/mm)60kVp=0.29 and MTF(6lp/mm)70kVp=0.25. The inspection of the Normalized Noise Power Spetrum (NNPS) showed similar low noise components. Our results indicate that this detector presents comparable performance at both kVp, although its X-ray response (pixel value vs air KERMA) was not equal to previously published results, for the same detector type.

The NUC and blind pixel eliminating in the DTDI application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Xiao Feng; Chen, Fan Sheng; Pan, Sheng Da; Gong, Xue Yi; Dong, Yu Cui

2013-12-01

AS infrared CMOS Digital TDI (Time Delay and integrate) has a simple structure, excellent performance and flexible operation, it has been used in more and more applications. Because of the limitation of the Production process level, the plane array of the infrared detector has a large NU (non-uniformity) and a certain blind pixel rate. Both of the two will raise the noise and lead to the TDI works not very well. In this paper, for the impact of the system performance, the most important elements are analyzed, which are the NU of the optical system, the NU of the Plane array and the blind pixel in the Plane array. Here a reasonable algorithm which considers the background removal and the linear response model of the infrared detector is used to do the NUC (Non-uniformity correction) process, when the infrared detector array is used as a Digital TDI. In order to eliminate the impact of the blind pixel, the concept of surplus pixel method is introduced in, through the method, the SNR (signal to noise ratio) can be improved and the spatial and temporal resolution will not be changed. Finally we use a MWIR (Medium Ware Infrared) detector to do the experiment and the result proves the effectiveness of the method.

A mechanism for dynamic lateral polarization in CdZnTe under high flux x-ray irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bale, Derek S.; Soldner, Stephen A.; Szeles, Csaba

2008-02-01

It has been observed that pixillated CdZnTe detectors fabricated from crystals with low hole transport properties (μhτh<10-5cm2V-1) experience a dynamic lateral polarization when exposed to a high flux of x-rays. In this effect, counts are transferred from pixels near the edge of the irradiated region to pixels in the interior. In this letter, we propose a mechanism capable of explaining the observed dynamical effect. The mechanism is based on a transverse electric field that is generated due to space charge that builds within the material. This transverse field, in turn, is responsible for the altered carrier trajectories toward the center of the irradiated region.

Dose-dependent X-ray measurements using a 64×64 hybrid GaAs pixel detector with photon counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, C.; Campbell, M.; Goeppert, R.; Ludwig, J.; Mikulec, B.; Rogalla, M.; Runge, K.; Soeldner-Rembold, A.; Smith, K. M.; Snoeys, W.; Watt, J.

2001-03-01

New developments in medical imaging head towards semiconductor detectors flip-chip bonded to CMOS readout chips. In this work, detectors fabricated on SI-GaAs bulk material were bonded to Photon Counting Chips. This PCC consists of a matrix of 64×64 identical square pixels (170 μm×170 μm) with a 15-bit counter in each cell. We investigated the imaging properties of these detector systems under exposure of a dental X-ray tube. First, a dose calibration of the X-ray tube was performed. Fixed pattern noise in flood exposure images was determined for a fixed dose and an image correction method, which uses a gain map, was applied. For characterising the imaging properties, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated as function of exposure dose. Finally, the dynamic range of the system was estimated. Developed in the framework of the MEDIPIX collaboration: CERN, Universities of Freiburg, Glasgow, Naples and Pisa.

A noiseless, kHz frame rate imaging detector for AO wavefront sensors based on MCPs read out with the Medipix2 CMOS pixel chip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallerga, J. V.; McPhate, J. B.; Tremsin, A. S.; Siegmund, O. H. W.; Mikulec, B.; Clark, A. G.

2004-12-01

Future wavefront sensors in adaptive optics (AO) systems for the next generation of large telescopes (> 30 m diameter) will require large formats (512x512) , kHz frame rates, low readout noise (<3 electrons) and high optical QE. The current generation of CCDs cannot achieve the first three of these specifications simultaneously. We present a detector scheme that can meet the first three requirements with an optical QE > 40%. This detector consists of a vacuum tube with a proximity focused GaAs photocathode whose photoelectrons are amplified by microchannel plates and the resulting output charge cloud counted by a pixelated CMOS application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) called the Medipix2 (http://medipix.web.cern.ch/MEDIPIX/). Each 55 micron square pixel of the Medipix2 chip has an amplifier, discriminator and 14 bit counter and the 256x256 array can be read out in 287 microseconds. The chip is 3 side abuttable so a 512x512 array is feasible in one vacuum tube. We will present the first results with an open-faced, demountable version of the detector where we have mounted a pair of MCPs 500 microns above a Medipix2 readout inside a vacuum chamber and illuminated it with UV light. The results include: flat field response, spatial resolution, spatial linearity on the sub-pixel level and global event counting rate. We will also discuss the vacuum tube design and the fabrication issues associated with the Medipix2 surviving the tube making process.

Experimental set up for the irradiation of biological samples and nuclear track detectors with UV C

PubMed Central

Portu, Agustina Mariana; Rossini, Andrés Eugenio; Gadan, Mario Alberto; Bernaola, Omar Alberto; Thorp, Silvia Inés; Curotto, Paula; Pozzi, Emiliano César Cayetano; Cabrini, Rómulo Luis; Martin, Gisela Saint

2016-01-01

Aim In this work we present a methodology to produce an “imprint” of cells cultivated on a polycarbonate detector by exposure of the detector to UV C radiation. Background The distribution and concentration of 10B atoms in tissue samples coming from BNCT (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy) protocols can be determined through the quantification and analysis of the tracks forming its autoradiography image on a nuclear track detector. The location of boron atoms in the cell structure could be known more accurately by the simultaneous observation of the nuclear tracks and the sample image on the detector. Materials and Methods A UV C irradiator was constructed. The irradiance was measured along the lamp direction and at different distances. Melanoma cells were cultured on polycarbonate foils, incubated with borophenylalanine, irradiated with thermal neutrons and exposed to UV C radiation. The samples were chemically attacked with a KOH solution. Results A uniform irradiation field was established to expose the detector foils to UV C light. Cells could be seeded on the polycarbonate surface. Both imprints from cells and nuclear tracks were obtained after chemical etching. Conclusions It is possible to yield cellular imprints in polycarbonate. The nuclear tracks were mostly present inside the cells, indicating a preferential boron uptake. PMID:26933396

A sub-millimeter resolution PET detector module using a multi-pixel photon counter array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Tae Yong; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Siegel, Stefan B.; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2010-05-01

A PET block detector module using an array of sub-millimeter lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystals read out by an array of surface-mount, semiconductor photosensors has been developed. The detector consists of a LSO array, a custom acrylic light guide, a 3 × 3 multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC) array (S10362-11-050P, Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan) and a readout board with a charge division resistor network. The LSO array consists of 100 crystals, each measuring 0.8 × 0.8 × 3 mm3 and arranged in 0.86 mm pitches. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to aid the design and fabrication of a custom light guide to control distribution of scintillation light over the surface of the MPPC array. The output signals of the nine MPPC are multiplexed by a charge division resistor network to generate four position-encoded analog outputs. Flood image, energy resolution and timing resolution measurements were performed using standard NIM electronics. The linearity of the detector response was investigated using gamma-ray sources of different energies. The 10 × 10 array of 0.8 mm LSO crystals was clearly resolved in the flood image. The average energy resolution and standard deviation were 20.0% full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) and ±5.0%, respectively, at 511 keV. The timing resolution of a single MPPC coupled to a LSO crystal was found to be 857 ps FWHM, and the value for the central region of detector module was 1182 ps FWHM when ±10% energy window was applied. The nonlinear response of a single MPPC when used to read out a single LSO was observed among the corner crystals of the proposed detector module. However, the central region of the detector module exhibits significantly less nonlinearity (6.5% for 511 keV). These results demonstrate that (1) a charge-sharing resistor network can effectively multiplex MPPC signals and reduce the number of output signals without significantly degrading the performance of a PET detector and (2) a custom light guide to permit light sharing

A sub-millimeter resolution PET detector module using a multi-pixel photon counter array.

PubMed

Song, Tae Yong; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Siegel, Stefan B; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2010-05-07

A PET block detector module using an array of sub-millimeter lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystals read out by an array of surface-mount, semiconductor photosensors has been developed. The detector consists of a LSO array, a custom acrylic light guide, a 3 x 3 multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC) array (S10362-11-050P, Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan) and a readout board with a charge division resistor network. The LSO array consists of 100 crystals, each measuring 0.8 x 0.8 x 3 mm(3) and arranged in 0.86 mm pitches. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to aid the design and fabrication of a custom light guide to control distribution of scintillation light over the surface of the MPPC array. The output signals of the nine MPPC are multiplexed by a charge division resistor network to generate four position-encoded analog outputs. Flood image, energy resolution and timing resolution measurements were performed using standard NIM electronics. The linearity of the detector response was investigated using gamma-ray sources of different energies. The 10 x 10 array of 0.8 mm LSO crystals was clearly resolved in the flood image. The average energy resolution and standard deviation were 20.0% full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) and +/-5.0%, respectively, at 511 keV. The timing resolution of a single MPPC coupled to a LSO crystal was found to be 857 ps FWHM, and the value for the central region of detector module was 1182 ps FWHM when +/-10% energy window was applied. The nonlinear response of a single MPPC when used to read out a single LSO was observed among the corner crystals of the proposed detector module. However, the central region of the detector module exhibits significantly less nonlinearity (6.5% for 511 keV). These results demonstrate that (1) a charge-sharing resistor network can effectively multiplex MPPC signals and reduce the number of output signals without significantly degrading the performance of a PET detector and (2) a custom light guide to permit light sharing

A sub-millimeter resolution PET detector module using a multi-pixel photon counter array

PubMed Central

Song, Tae Yong; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Siegel, Stefan B; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2010-01-01

A PET block detector module using an array of sub-millimeter lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystals read out by an array of surface-mount, semiconductor photosensors has been developed. The detector consists of a LSO array, a custom acrylic light guide, a 3 × 3 multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC) array (S10362-11-050P, Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan) and a readout board with a charge division resistor network. The LSO array consists of 100 crystals, each measuring 0.8 × 0.8 × 3 mm3 and arranged in 0.86 mm pitches. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to aid the design and fabrication of a custom light guide to control distribution of scintillation light over the surface of the MPPC array. The output signals of the nine MPPC are multiplexed by a charge division resistor network to generate four position-encoded analog outputs. Flood image, energy resolution and timing resolution measurements were performed using standard NIM electronics. The linearity of the detector response was investigated using gamma-ray sources of different energies. The 10 × 10 array of 0.8 mm LSO crystals was clearly resolved in the flood image. The average energy resolution and standard deviation were 20.0% full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) and ±5.0%, respectively, at 511 keV. The timing resolution of a single MPPC coupled to a LSO crystal was found to be 857 ps FWHM, and the value for the central region of detector module was 1182 ps FWHM when ±10% energy window was applied. The nonlinear response of a single MPPC when used to read out a single LSO was observed among the corner crystals of the proposed detector module. However, the central region of the detector module exhibits significantly less nonlinearity (6.5% for 511 keV). These results demonstrate that (1) a charge-sharing resistor network can effectively multiplex MPPC signals and reduce the number of output signals without significantly degrading the performance of a PET detector and (2) a custom light guide to permit light sharing

Test beam measurement of the first prototype of the fast silicon pixel monolithic detector for the TT-PET project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paolozzi, L.; Bandi, Y.; Benoit, M.; Cardarelli, R.; Débieux, S.; Forshaw, D.; Hayakawa, D.; Iacobucci, G.; Kaynak, M.; Miucci, A.; Nessi, M.; Ratib, O.; Ripiccini, E.; Rücker, H.; Valerio, P.; Weber, M.

2018-04-01

The TT-PET collaboration is developing a PET scanner for small animals with 30 ps time-of-flight resolution and sub-millimetre 3D detection granularity. The sensitive element of the scanner is a monolithic silicon pixel detector based on state-of-the-art SiGe BiCMOS technology. The first ASIC prototype for the TT-PET was produced and tested in the laboratory and with minimum ionizing particles. The electronics exhibit an equivalent noise charge below 600 e‑ RMS and a pulse rise time of less than 2 ns , in accordance with the simulations. The pixels with a capacitance of 0.8 pF were measured to have a detection efficiency greater than 99% and, although in the absence of the post-processing, a time resolution of approximately 200 ps .

Development of an intraoperative gamma camera based on a 256-pixel mercuric iodide detector array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patt, B. E.; Tornai, M. P.; Iwanczyk, J. S.; Levin, C. S.; Hoffman, E. J.

1997-06-01

A 256-element mercuric iodide (HgI/sub 2/) detector array has been developed which is intended for use as an intraoperative gamma camera (IOGC). The camera is specifically designed for use in imaging gamma-emitting radiopharmaceuticals (such as 99m-Tc labeled Sestamibi) incorporated into brain tumors in the intraoperative surgical environment. The system is intended to improve the success of tumor removal surgeries by allowing more complete removal of subclinical tumor cells without removal of excessive normal tissue. The use of HgI/sub 2/ detector arrays in this application facilitates construction of an imaging head that is very compact and has a high SNR. The detector is configured as a cross-grid array. Pixel dimensions are 1.25 mm squares separated by 0.25 mm. The overall dimension of the detector is 23.75 mm on a side. The detector thickness is 1 mm which corresponds to over 60% stopping at 140 keV. The array has good uniformity with average energy resolution of 5.2/spl plusmn/2.9% FWHM at 140 keV (best resolution was 1.9% FWHM). Response uniformity (/spl plusmn//spl sigma/) was 7.9%. A study utilizing realistic tumor phantoms (uptake ratio varied from 2:1 to 100:1) in background (1 mCi/l) was conducted. SNRs for the reasonably achievable uptake ratio of 50:1 were 5.61 /spl sigma/ with 1 cm of background depth ("normal tissue") and 2.74 /spl sigma/ with 4 cm of background for a 6.3 /spl mu/l tumor phantom (/spl sim/270 nCi at the time of the measurement).

Setup for irradiation and characterization of materials and Si particle detectors at cryogenic temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Väyrynen, S.; Pusa, P.; Sane, P.; Tikkanen, P.; Räisänen, J.; Kuitunen, K.; Tuomisto, F.; Härkönen, J.; Kassamakov, I.; Tuominen, E.; Tuovinen, E.

2007-03-01

A novel facility for proton irradiation with sample cryocooling has been developed at the Accelerator Laboratory of Helsinki University (equipped with a 5 MV tandem accelerator). The setup enables unique experiments to be carried out within the temperature range of 10-300 K. The setup has been constructed for "on-line" studies of vacancies with positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) including the option for optical ionization of the vacancies, and for current-voltage ( IV) measurements of irradiated silicon particle detectors. The setup is described in detail and typical performance characteristics are provided. The facility functionality was tested by performing PAS experiments with high-resistivity silicon and by IV measurements for two types of irradiated silicon particle detectors.

Silicon pixel R&D for CLIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munker, M.

2017-01-01

Challenging detector requirements are imposed by the physics goals at the future multi-TeV e+ e- Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). A single point resolution of 3 μm for the vertex detector and 7 μm for the tracker is required. Moreover, the CLIC vertex detector and tracker need to be extremely light weighted with a material budget of 0.2% X0 per layer in the vertex detector and 1-2% X0 in the tracker. A fast time slicing of 10 ns is further required to suppress background from beam-beam interactions. A wide range of sensor and readout ASIC technologies are investigated within the CLIC silicon pixel R&D effort. Various hybrid planar sensor assemblies with a pixel size of 25×25 μm2 and 55×55 μm2 have been produced and characterised by laboratory measurements and during test-beam campaigns. Experimental and simulation results for thin (50 μm-500 μm) slim edge and active-edge planar, and High-Voltage CMOS sensors hybridised to various readout ASICs (Timepix, Timepix3, CLICpix) are presented.

Fast neutron dosemeter using pixelated detector Timepix.

PubMed

Bulanek, Boris; Ekendahl, Daniela; Prouza, Zdenek

2014-10-01

A Timepix detector covered with polyethylene convertors of different thicknesses is presented as a fast neutron real-time dosemeter. The application of different weighting factors in connection with the position of a signal in a Timepix detector enables one to obtain an energy-dependent signal equal to neutron dose equivalents. A simulation of a Timepix detector covered with polyethylene convertors using monoenergetic neutrons is presented. The experimental set-up of a dosemeter was also produced. The first results of detector response using different fast neutron sources are presented. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Characterization of a 2-mm thick, 16x16 Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Pixel Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica; Richardson, Georgia; Mitchell, Shannon; Ramsey, Brian; Seller, Paul; Sharma, Dharma

2003-01-01

The detector under study is a 2-mm-thick, 16x16 Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride pixel array with a pixel pitch of 300 microns and inter-pixel gap of 50 microns. This detector is a precursor to that which will be used at the focal plane of the High Energy Replicated Optics (HERO) telescope currently being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center. With a telescope focal length of 6 meters, the detector needs to have a spatial resolution of around 200 microns in order to take full advantage of the HERO angular resolution. We discuss to what degree charge sharing will degrade energy resolution but will improve our spatial resolution through position interpolation. In addition, we discuss electric field modeling for this specific detector geometry and the role this mapping will play in terms of charge sharing and charge loss in the detector.

Small pixel cross-talk MTF and its impact on MWIR sensor performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goss, Tristan M.; Willers, Cornelius J.

2017-05-01

As pixel sizes reduce in the development of modern High Definition (HD) Mid Wave Infrared (MWIR) detectors the interpixel cross-talk becomes increasingly difficult to regulate. The diffusion lengths required to achieve the quantum efficiency and sensitivity of MWIR detectors are typically longer than the pixel pitch dimension, and the probability of inter-pixel cross-talk increases as the pixel pitch/diffusion length fraction decreases. Inter-pixel cross-talk is most conveniently quantified by the focal plane array sampling Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). Cross-talk MTF will reduce the ideal sinc square pixel MTF that is commonly used when modelling sensor performance. However, cross-talk MTF data is not always readily available from detector suppliers, and since the origins of inter-pixel cross-talk are uniquely device and manufacturing process specific, no generic MTF models appear to satisfy the needs of the sensor designers and analysts. In this paper cross-talk MTF data has been collected from recent publications and the development for a generic cross-talk MTF model to fit this data is investigated. The resulting cross-talk MTF model is then included in a MWIR sensor model and the impact on sensor performance is evaluated in terms of the National Imagery Interoperability Rating Scale's (NIIRS) General Image Quality Equation (GIQE) metric for a range of fnumber/ detector pitch Fλ/d configurations and operating environments. By applying non-linear boost transfer functions in the signal processing chain, the contrast losses due to cross-talk may be compensated for. Boost transfer functions, however, also reduce the signal to noise ratio of the sensor. In this paper boost function limits are investigated and included in the sensor performance assessments.

4 Gbps Scalable Low-Voltage Signaling (SLVS) transceiver for pixel radiation detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadlubowski, Lukasz A.; Kmon, Piotr

2017-08-01

We report on the design of 4 Gbps Scalable Low-Voltage Signaling (SLVS) transceiver in 40nm CMOS technology for application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) dedicated to pixel radiation detectors. Serial data are transmitted with +/-200mV differential swing around 200mV nominal common-mode level. The common-mode interference minimization is crucial in such a design, due to EMC requirements. For multi-gigabit-per-second speeds, the influence of power supply path becomes one of the most challenging design issues. Accurate modeling of supply pads at each step of the design is necessary. Our analysis shows that the utilization of multiple bond wires as well as separate power supply pads for bulk terminals connection of the transistors is essential to ensure proper operation of the transceiver. The design is a result of various trade-offs between speed, required operating conditions, common-mode interference as well as power and area consumption.

SUPPLEMENTARY COMPARISON: APMP.PR-S1 comparison of irradiance responsivity of UVA detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Gan; Huang, Xuebo; Liu, Yuanjie

2007-01-01

APMP.PR-S1, a supplementary comparison of irradiance responsivity of UVA detectors, was carried out among seven national metrology institutes piloted by SPRING Singapore from 2003 to 2005. Two quantities, the narrow band UV (365 nm ± 5 nm) irradiance responsivity and the broad band UVA (315 nm-400 nm) irradiance responsivity of the transfer detectors, have been compared. Commercial UV source (medium pressure mercury short arc lamp) and UVA detectors were used as transfer standards in the comparison. Measurement results from participants were reported and their uncertainties associated with the comparison were analysed in this report. The method of weighted mean with cut-off was used to calculate the comparison reference values. The results from most participating labs lie within ±5% against the comparison reference values with a few exceptions. The degree of agreement of the comparison depends not only on the base scales of spectral responsivity and spectral irradiance of a laboratory, but also equally importantly on the method used for the measurement. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the APMP, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).

The phase 1 upgrade of the CMS Pixel Front-End Driver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedl, M.; Pernicka, M.; Steininger, H.

2010-12-01

The pixel detector of the CMS experiment at the LHC is read out by analog optical links, sending the data to 9U VME Front-End Driver (FED) boards located in the electronics cavern. There are plans for the phase 1 upgrade of the pixel detector (2016) to add one more layer, while significantly cutting down the overall material budget. At the same time, the optical data transmission will be replaced by a serialized digital scheme. A plug-in board solution with a high-speed digital optical receiver has been developed for the Pixel-FED readout boards and will be presented along with first tests of the future optical link.

Characterization of a hybrid energy-resolving photon-counting detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, A.; Pelzer, G.; Anton, G.; Ballabriga Sune, R.; Bisello, F.; Campbell, M.; Fauler, A.; Fiederle, M.; Llopart Cudie, X.; Ritter, I.; Tennert, F.; Wölfel, S.; Wong, W. S.; Michel, T.

2014-03-01

Photon-counting detectors in medical x-ray imaging provide a higher dose efficiency than integrating detectors. Even further possibilities for imaging applications arise, if the energy of each photon counted is measured, as for example K-edge-imaging or optimizing image quality by applying energy weighting factors. In this contribution, we show results of the characterization of the Dosepix detector. This hybrid photon- counting pixel detector allows energy resolved measurements with a novel concept of energy binning included in the pixel electronics. Based on ideas of the Medipix detector family, it provides three different modes of operation: An integration mode, a photon-counting mode, and an energy-binning mode. In energy-binning mode, it is possible to set 16 energy thresholds in each pixel individually to derive a binned energy spectrum in every pixel in one acquisition. The hybrid setup allows using different sensor materials. For the measurements 300 μm Si and 1 mm CdTe were used. The detector matrix consists of 16 x 16 square pixels for CdTe (16 x 12 for Si) with a pixel pitch of 220 μm. The Dosepix was originally intended for applications in the field of radiation measurement. Therefore it is not optimized towards medical imaging. The detector concept itself still promises potential as an imaging detector. We present spectra measured in one single pixel as well as in the whole pixel matrix in energy-binning mode with a conventional x-ray tube. In addition, results concerning the count rate linearity for the different sensor materials are shown as well as measurements regarding energy resolution.

Quantitative evaluation method of the threshold adjustment and the flat field correction performances of hybrid photon counting pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medjoubi, K.; Dawiec, A.

2017-12-01

A simple method is proposed in this work for quantitative evaluation of the quality of the threshold adjustment and the flat-field correction of Hybrid Photon Counting pixel (HPC) detectors. This approach is based on the Photon Transfer Curve (PTC) corresponding to the measurement of the standard deviation of the signal in flat field images. Fixed pattern noise (FPN), easily identifiable in the curve, is linked to the residual threshold dispersion, sensor inhomogeneity and the remnant errors in flat fielding techniques. The analytical expression of the signal to noise ratio curve is developed for HPC and successfully used as a fit function applied to experimental data obtained with the XPAD detector. The quantitative evaluation of the FPN, described by the photon response non-uniformity (PRNU), is measured for different configurations (threshold adjustment method and flat fielding technique) and is demonstrated to be used in order to evaluate the best setting for having the best image quality from a commercial or a R&D detector.

Image processing analysis of nuclear track parameters for CR-39 detector irradiated by thermal neutron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jobouri, Hussain A.; Rajab, Mustafa Y.

2016-03-01

CR-39 detector which covered with boric acid (H3Bo3) pellet was irradiated by thermal neutrons from (241Am - 9Be) source with activity 12Ci and neutron flux 105 n. cm-2. s-1. The irradiation times -TD for detector were 4h, 8h, 16h and 24h. Chemical etching solution for detector was sodium hydroxide NaOH, 6.25N with 45 min etching time and 60 C˚ temperature. Images of CR-39 detector after chemical etching were taken from digital camera which connected from optical microscope. MATLAB software version 7.0 was used to image processing. The outputs of image processing of MATLAB software were analyzed and found the following relationships: (a) The irradiation time -TD has behavior linear relationships with following nuclear track parameters: i) total track number - NT ii) maximum track number - MRD (relative to track diameter - DT) at response region range 2.5 µm to 4 µm iii) maximum track number - MD (without depending on track diameter - DT). (b) The irradiation time -TD has behavior logarithmic relationship with maximum track number - MA (without depending on track area - AT). The image processing technique principally track diameter - DT can be take into account to classification of α-particle emitters, In addition to the contribution of these technique in preparation of nano- filters and nano-membrane in nanotechnology fields.

Analysis of painted arts by energy sensitive radiographic techniques with the Pixel Detector Timepix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zemlicka, J.; Jakubek, J.; Kroupa, M.; Hradil, D.; Hradilova, J.; Mislerova, H.

2011-01-01

Non-invasive techniques utilizing X-ray radiation offer a significant advantage in scientific investigations of painted arts and other cultural artefacts such as painted artworks or statues. In addition, there is also great demand for a mobile analytical and real-time imaging device given the fact that many fine arts cannot be transported. The highly sensitive hybrid semiconductor pixel detector, Timepix, is capable of detecting and resolving subtle and low-contrast differences in the inner composition of a wide variety of objects. Moreover, it is able to map the surface distribution of the contained elements. Several transmission and emission techniques are presented which have been proposed and tested for the analysis of painted artworks. This study focuses on the novel techniques of X-ray transmission radiography (conventional and energy sensitive) and X-ray induced fluorescence imaging (XRF) which can be realised at the table-top scale with the state-of-the-art pixel detector Timepix. Transmission radiography analyses the changes in the X-ray beam intensity caused by specific attenuation of different components in the sample. The conventional approach uses all energies from the source spectrum for the creation of the image while the energy sensitive alternative creates images in given energy intervals which enable identification and separation of materials. The XRF setup is based on the detection of characteristic radiation induced by X-ray photons through a pinhole geometry collimator. The XRF method is extremely sensitive to the material composition but it creates only surface maps of the elemental distribution. For the purpose of the analysis several sets of painted layers have been prepared in a restoration laboratory. The composition of these layers corresponds to those of real historical paintings from the 19th century. An overview of the current status of our methods will be given with respect to the instrumentation and the application in the field of

Low-temperature TCT characterization of heavily proton irradiated p-type magnetic Czochralski silicon detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Härkönen, J.; Tuovinen, E.; Luukka, P.; Kassamakov, I.; Autioniemi, M.; Tuominen, E.; Sane, P.; Pusa, P.; Räisänen, J.; Eremin, V.; Verbitskaya, E.; Li, Z.

2007-12-01

n +/p -/p + pad detectors processed at the Microelectronics Center of Helsinki University of Technology on boron-doped p-type high-resistivity magnetic Czochralski (MCz-Si) silicon substrates have been investigated by the transient current technique (TCT) measurements between 100 and 240 K. The detectors were irradiated by 9 MeV protons at the Accelerator Laboratory of University of Helsinki up to 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence of 2×10 15 n/cm 2. In some of the detectors the thermal donors (TD) were introduced by intentional heat treatment at 430 °C. Hole trapping time constants and full depletion voltage values were extracted from the TCT data. We observed that hole trapping times in the order of 10 ns were found in heavily (above 1×10 15 n eq/cm 2) irradiated samples. These detectors could be fully depleted below 500 V in the temperature range of 140-180 K.

WFC3 UVIS Pixel-to-Pixel QE Variations via Internal Flats Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bajaj, Varun

2016-10-01

The UVIS detector has a population of pixels that exhibit anomalous QE variations between anneals, characterized by a sensitivity loss that is greater in the blue than in the red. This population is randomly distributed, with evidence of clustering behavior in the UV, and is seemingly unique for each anneal cycle. This program, a continuation of cycle 23 program 14389, will aim to constrain the maximum low-sensitivity population existing before an anneal in both the UV and Visible filters. To monitor the UV behavior, internal flats with the D2 lamp will be taken through F225W and F336W. To monitor the behavior in the Visible filters, internal flats with the tungsten lamp will be taken a week before the anneal, when the population of anomalous pixels is the greatest. Internal flats with the Tungsten lamp will be taken to monitor the population in the visible filters, with data taken the week before the anneal to sample the maximum population of anomalous pixels.

Ion profiling in an ambient drift tube-ion mobility spectrometer using a high pixel density linear array detector IonCCD.

PubMed

Davila, Stephen J; Hadjar, Omar; Eiceman, Gary A

2013-07-16

A linear pixel-based detector array, the IonCCD, is characterized for use under ambient conditions with thermal (<1 eV) positive ions derived from purified air and a 10 mCi (63)Ni foil. The IonCCD combined with a drift tube-ion mobility spectrometer permitted the direct detection of gas phase ions at atmospheric pressure and confirmed a limit of detection of 3000 ions/pixel/frame established previously in both the keV (1-2 keV) and the hyper-thermal (10-40 eV) regimes. Results demonstrate the "broad-band" application of the IonCCD over 10(5) orders in ion energy and over 10(10) in operating pressure. The Faraday detector of a drift tube for an ion mobility spectrometer was replaced with the IonCCD providing images of ion profiles over the cross-section of the drift tube. Patterns in the ion profiles were developed in the drift tube cross-section by control of electric fields between wires of Bradbury Nielson and Tyndall Powell shutter designs at distances of 1-8 cm from the detector. Results showed that ion beams formed in wire sets, retained their shape with limited mixing by diffusion and Coulombic repulsion. Beam broadening determined as 95 μm/cm for hydrated protons in air with moisture of ~10 ppmv. These findings suggest a value of the IonCCD in further studies of ion motion and diffusion of thermalized ions, enhancing computational results from simulation programs, and in the design or operation of ion mobility spectrometers.

A High-Speed, Event-Driven, Active Pixel Sensor Readout for Photon-Counting Microchannel Plate Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimble, Randy A.; Pain, Bedabrata; Norton, Timothy J.; Haas, J. Patrick; Oegerle, William R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Silicon array readouts for microchannel plate intensifiers offer several attractive features. In this class of detector, the electron cloud output of the MCP intensifier is converted to visible light by a phosphor; that light is then fiber-optically coupled to the silicon array. In photon-counting mode, the resulting light splashes on the silicon array are recognized and centroided to fractional pixel accuracy by off-chip electronics. This process can result in very high (MCP-limited) spatial resolution while operating at a modest MCP gain (desirable for dynamic range and long term stability). The principal limitation of intensified CCD systems of this type is their severely limited local dynamic range, as accurate photon counting is achieved only if there are not overlapping event splashes within the frame time of the device. This problem can be ameliorated somewhat by processing events only in pre-selected windows of interest of by using an addressable charge injection device (CID) for the readout array. We are currently pursuing the development of an intriguing alternative readout concept based on using an event-driven CMOS Active Pixel Sensor. APS technology permits the incorporation of discriminator circuitry within each pixel. When coupled with suitable CMOS logic outside the array area, the discriminator circuitry can be used to trigger the readout of small sub-array windows only when and where an event splash has been detected, completely eliminating the local dynamic range problem, while achieving a high global count rate capability and maintaining high spatial resolution. We elaborate on this concept and present our progress toward implementing an event-driven APS readout.

A High-Speed, Event-Driven, Active Pixel Sensor Readout for Photon-Counting Microchannel Plate Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimble, Randy A.; Pain, B.; Norton, T. J.; Haas, P.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Silicon array readouts for microchannel plate intensifiers offer several attractive features. In this class of detector, the electron cloud output of the MCP intensifier is converted to visible light by a phosphor; that light is then fiber-optically coupled to the silicon array. In photon-counting mode, the resulting light splashes on the silicon array are recognized and centroided to fractional pixel accuracy by off-chip electronics. This process can result in very high (MCP-limited) spatial resolution for the readout while operating at a modest MCP gain (desirable for dynamic range and long term stability). The principal limitation of intensified CCD systems of this type is their severely limited local dynamic range, as accurate photon counting is achieved only if there are not overlapping event splashes within the frame time of the device. This problem can be ameliorated somewhat by processing events only in pre-selected windows of interest or by using an addressable charge injection device (CID) for the readout array. We are currently pursuing the development of an intriguing alternative readout concept based on using an event-driven CMOS Active Pixel Sensor. APS technology permits the incorporation of discriminator circuitry within each pixel. When coupled with suitable CMOS logic outside the array area, the discriminator circuitry can be used to trigger the readout of small sub-array windows only when and where an event splash has been detected, completely eliminating the local dynamic range problem, while achieving a high global count rate capability and maintaining high spatial resolution. We elaborate on this concept and present our progress toward implementing an event-driven APS readout.

CMOS sensor as charged particles and ionizing radiation detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Zaragoza, E.; Piña López, I.

2015-01-01

This paper reports results of CMOS sensor suitable for use as charged particles and ionizing radiation detector. The CMOS sensor with 640 × 480 pixels area has been integrated into an electronic circuit for detection of ionizing radiation and it was exposed to alpha particle (Am-241, Unat), beta (Sr-90), and gamma photons (Cs-137). Results show after long period of time (168 h) irradiation the sensor had not loss of functionality and also the energy of the charge particles and photons were very well obtained.

Sensors for the CMS Forward Pixel Phase 1 Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilsiz, Kamuran; CMS Collaboration

2016-03-01

The next incarnation of the CMS forward pixel detector, to be installed during the year end extended technical stop 2016-17, will need to survive an integrated luminosity of 300 fb-1 with the inner radius of the active region of the disks decreasing from 6 to 4.5 cm. Based on the Run 1 experience and irradiation studies, the Phase 1 FPIX sensors will again be n-on-n DOFZ silicon, with parameters similar to those in the present run. We will review the design choices including a study during the prototyping phase to explore different p-stop layouts. Results from the quality assurance probing of the full production of sensor wafers will be described. The IV measurements are particularly impressive with current densities in range of 3-4 nA/cm2 at the full depletion voltage.

Gamma-ray Irradiation Effects on InAs/GaSb-based nBn IR Detector

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

very low noise performance. When properly passivated, conventional mercury cadmium telluride ( MCT )?based infrared detectors have been shown to...Gamma-ray Irradiation Effects on InAs/GaSb-based nBn IR Detector Vincent M. Cowan*1, Christian P. Morath1, Seth M. Swift1, Stephen Myers2...2Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA ABSTRACT IR detectors operated in a space environment are

Beam Test Studies of 3D Pixel Sensors Irradiated Non-Uniformly for the ATLAS Forward Physics Detector

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-21

telescope consists of six Mimosa tracking planes, the readout data acquisition system and the trigger hardware, and provides a ≈ 3µm track point- ing...is larger than the Mimosa sensors of the telescope, separate sets of data were taken to cover the irradiated and non-irradiated regions of the sensors

CCD sensors in synchrotron X-ray detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strauss, M. G.; Naday, I.; Sherman, I. S.; Kraimer, M. R.; Westbrook, E. M.; Zaluzec, N. J.

1988-04-01

The intense photon flux from advanced synchrotron light sources, such as the 7-GeV synchrotron being designed at Argonne, require integrating-type detectors. Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are well suited as synchrotron X-ray detectors. When irradiated indirectly via a phosphor followed by reducing optics, diffraction patterns of 100 cm 2 can be imaged on a 2 cm 2 CCD. With a conversion efficiency of ˜ 1 CCD electron/X-ray photon, a peak saturation capacity of > 10 6 X-rays can be obtained. A programmable CCD controller operating at a clock frequency of 20 MHz has been developed. The readout rate is 5 × 10 6 pixels/s and the shift rate in the parallel registers is 10 6 lines/s. The test detector was evaluated in two experiments. In protein crystallography diffraction patterns have been obtained from a lysozyme crystal using a conventional rotating anode X-ray generator. Based on these results we expect to obtain at a synchrotron diffraction images at a rate of ˜ 1 frame/s or a complete 3-dimensional data set from a single crystal in ˜ 2 min. In electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), the CCD was used in a parallel detection mode which is similar to the mode array detectors are used in dispersive EXAFS. With a beam current corresponding to 3 × 10 9 electron/s on the detector, a series of 64 spectra were recorded on the CCD in a continuous sequence without interruption due to readout. The frame-to-frame pixel signal fluctuations had σ = 0.4% from which DQE = 0.4 was obtained, where the detector conversion efficiency was 2.6 CCD electrons/X-ray photon. These multiple frame series also showed the time-resolved modulation of the electron microscope optics by stray magnetic fields.

Self-Powered Neutron Detector Calibration Using a Large Vertical Irradiation Hole of HANARO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Myong-Seop; Park, Byung-Gun; Kang, Gi-Doo

2018-01-01

A calibration technology of the self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs) using a large vertical irradiation hole of HANARO is developed. The 40 Rh-SPNDs are installed on the polycarbonate plastic support, and the gold wires with the same length as the effective length of the rhodium emitter of the SPND are also installed to measure the neutron flux on the SPND. They are irradiated at a low reactor power, and the SPND current is measured using the pico-ammeter. The external gamma-rays which affect the SPND current response are analyzed using the Monte Carlo simulation for various irradiation conditions in HANARO. It is confirmed that the effect of the external gamma-rays to the SPND current is dependent on the reactor characteristics, and that it is affected by materials around the detector. The current signals due to the external gamma-rays can be either positive or negative, in that the net flow of the current may be either in the same or the opposite direction as the neutron-induced current by the rhodium emitter. From the above procedure, the effective calibration methodology of multiple SPNDs using the large hole of HANARO is developed. It could be useful for the calibration experiment of the neutron detectors in the research reactors.

The Phase-II ATLAS ITk pixel upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terzo, S.

2017-07-01

The entire tracking system of the ATLAS experiment will be replaced during the LHC Phase-II shutdown (foreseen to take place around 2025) by an all-silicon detector called the ``ITk'' (Inner Tracker). The innermost portion of ITk will consist of a pixel detector with five layers in the barrel region and ring-shaped supports in the end-cap regions. It will be instrumented with new sensor and readout electronics technologies to improve the tracking performance and cope with the HL-LHC environment, which will be severe in terms of occupancy and radiation levels. The new pixel system could include up to 14 m2 of silicon, depending on the final layout, which is expected to be decided in 2017. Several layout options are being investigated at the moment, including some with novel inclined support structures in the barrel end-cap overlap region and others with very long innermost barrel layers. Forward coverage could be as high as |eta| <4. Supporting structures will be based on low mass, highly stable and highly thermally conductive carbon-based materials cooled by evaporative carbon dioxide circulated in thin-walled titanium pipes embedded in the structures. Planar, 3D, and CMOS sensors are being investigated to identify the optimal technology, which may be different for the various layers. The RD53 Collaboration is developing the new readout chip. The pixel off-detector readout electronics will be implemented in the framework of the general ATLAS trigger and DAQ system. A readout speed of up to 5 Gb/s per data link will be needed in the innermost layers going down to 640 Mb/s for the outermost. Because of the very high radiation level inside the detector, the first part of the transmission has to be implemented electrically, with signals converted for optical transmission at larger radii. Extensive tests are being carried out to prove the feasibility of implementing serial powering, which has been chosen as the baseline for the ITk pixel system due to the reduced

The FE-I4 Pixel Readout Chip and the IBL Module

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barbero, Marlon; Arutinov, David; Backhaus, Malte

2012-05-01

FE-I4 is the new ATLAS pixel readout chip for the upgraded ATLAS pixel detector. Designed in a CMOS 130 nm feature size process, the IC is able to withstand higher radiation levels compared to the present generation of ATLAS pixel Front-End FE-I3, and can also cope with higher hit rate. It is thus suitable for intermediate radii pixel detector layers in the High Luminosity LHC environment, but also for the inserted layer at 3.3 cm known as the 'Insertable B-Layer' project (IBL), at a shorter timescale. In this paper, an introduction to the FE-I4 will be given, focusing on testmore » results from the first full size FE-I4A prototype which has been available since fall 2010. The IBL project will be introduced, with particular emphasis on the FE-I4-based module concept.« less

Achieving subpixel resolution with time-correlated transient signals in pixelated CdZnTe gamma-ray sensors using a focused laser beam (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocampo Giraldo, Luis A.; Bolotnikov, Aleksey E.; Camarda, Giuseppe S.; Cui, Yonggang; De Geronimo, Gianluigi; Gul, Rubi; Fried, Jack; Hossain, Anwar; Unlu, Kenan; Vernon, Emerson; Yang, Ge; James, Ralph B.

2017-05-01

High-resolution position-sensitive detectors have been proposed to correct response non-uniformities in Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) crystals by virtually subdividing the detectors area into small voxels and equalizing responses from each voxel. 3D pixelated detectors coupled with multichannel readout electronics are the most advanced type of CZT devices offering many options in signal processing and enhancing detector performance. One recent innovation proposed for pixelated detectors is to use the induced (transient) signals from neighboring pixels to achieve high sub-pixel position resolution while keeping large pixel sizes. The main hurdle in achieving this goal is the relatively low signal induced on the neighboring pixels because of the electrostatic shielding effect caused by the collecting pixel. In addition, to achieve high position sensitivity one should rely on time-correlated transient signals, which means that digitized output signals must be used. We present the results of our studies to measure the amplitude of the pixel signals so that these can be used to measure positions of the interaction points. This is done with the processing of digitized correlated time signals measured from several adjacent pixels taking into account rise-time and charge-sharing effects. In these measurements we used a focused pulsed laser to generate a 10-micron beam at one milliwatt (650-nm wavelength) over the detector surface while the collecting pixel was moved in cardinal directions. The results include measurements that present the benefits of combining conventional pixel geometry with digital pulse processing for the best approach in achieving sub-pixel position resolution with the pixel dimensions of approximately 2 mm. We also present the sub-pixel resolution measurements at comparable energies from various gamma emitting isotopes.

Characterisation of GaAs:Cr pixel sensors coupled to Timepix chips in view of synchrotron applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponchut, C.; Cotte, M.; Lozinskaya, A.; Zarubin, A.; Tolbanov, O.; Tyazhev, A.

2017-12-01

In order to meet the needs of some ESRF beamlines for highly efficient 2D X-ray detectors in the 20-50 keV range, GaAs:Cr pixel sensors coupled to TIMEPIX readout chips were implemented into a MAXIPIX detector. Use of GaAs:Cr sensor material is intended to overcome the limitations of Si (low absorption) and of CdTe (fluorescence) in this energy range The GaAs:Cr sensor assemblies were characterised with both laboratory X-ray sources and monochromatic synchrotron X-ray beams. The sensor response as a function of bias voltage was compared to a theoretical model, leading to an estimation of the μτ product of electrons in GaAs:Cr sensor material of 1.6×10-4 cm2/V. The spatial homogeneity of X-ray images obtained with the sensors was measured in different irradiation conditions, showing a particular sensitivity to small variations in the incident beam spectrum. 2D-resolved elemental mapping of the sensor surface was carried out to investigate a possible relation between the noise pattern observed in X-ray images and local fluctuations in chemical composition. A scanning of the sensor response at subpixel scale revealed that these irregularities can be correlated with a distortion of the effective pixel shapes.

Development of a DC-DC conversion powering scheme for the CMS Phase-1 pixel upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feld, L.; Fimmers, C.; Karpinski, W.; Klein, K.; Lipinski, M.; Preuten, M.; Rauch, M.; Rittich, D.; Sammet, J.; Wlochal, M.

2014-01-01

A novel powering scheme based on the DC-DC conversion technique will be exploited to power the CMS Phase-1 pixel detector. DC-DC buck converters for the CMS pixel project have been developed, based on the AMIS5 ASIC designed by CERN. The powering system of the Phase-1 pixel detector is described and the performance of the converter prototypes is detailed, including power efficiency, stability of the output voltage, shielding, and thermal management. Results from a test of the magnetic field tolerance of the DC-DC converters are reported. System tests with pixel modules using many components of the future pixel barrel system are summarized. Finally first impressions from a pre-series of 200 DC-DC converters are presented.

Direct imaging detectors for electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faruqi, A. R.; McMullan, G.

2018-01-01

Electronic detectors used for imaging in electron microscopy are reviewed in this paper. Much of the detector technology is based on the developments in microelectronics, which have allowed the design of direct detectors with fine pixels, fast readout and which are sufficiently radiation hard for practical use. Detectors included in this review are hybrid pixel detectors, monolithic active pixel sensors based on CMOS technology and pnCCDs, which share one important feature: they are all direct imaging detectors, relying on directly converting energy in a semiconductor. Traditional methods of recording images in the electron microscope such as film and CCDs, are mentioned briefly along with a more detailed description of direct electronic detectors. Many applications benefit from the use of direct electron detectors and a few examples are mentioned in the text. In recent years one of the most dramatic advances in structural biology has been in the deployment of the new backthinned CMOS direct detectors to attain near-atomic resolution molecular structures with electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM). The development of direct detectors, along with a number of other parallel advances, has seen a very significant amount of new information being recorded in the images, which was not previously possible-and this forms the main emphasis of the review.

Development of n+-in-p planar pixel quadsensor flip-chipped with FE-I4 readout ASICs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unno, Y.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Yamamoto, H.; Hanagaki, K.; Hori, R.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Takashima, R.; Tojo, J.; Kono, T.; Nagai, R.; Saito, S.; Sugibayashi, K.; Hirose, M.; Jinnouchi, O.; Sato, S.; Sawai, H.; Hara, K.; Sato, Kz.; Sato, Kj.; Iwabuchi, S.; Suzuki, J.

2017-01-01

We have developed flip-chip modules applicable to the pixel detector for the HL-LHC. New radiation-tolerant n+-in-p planar pixel sensors of a size of four FE-I4 application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are laid out in a 6-in wafer. Variation in readout connection for the pixels at the boundary of ASICs is implemented in the design of quadsensors. Bump bonding technology is developed for four ASICs onto one quadsensor. Both sensors and ASICs are thinned to 150 μm before bump bonding, and are held flat with vacuum chucks. Using lead-free SnAg solder bumps, we encounter deficiency with large areas of disconnected bumps after thermal stress treatment, including irradiation. Surface oxidation of the solder bumps is identified as a critical source of this deficiency after bump bonding trials, using SnAg bumps with solder flux, indium bumps, and SnAg bumps with a newly-introduced hydrogen-reflow process. With hydrogen-reflow, we establish flux-less bump bonding technology with SnAg bumps, appropriate for mass production of the flip-chip modules with thin sensors and thin ASICs.

A pixelated x-ray detector for diffraction imaging at next-generation high-rate FEL sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodola, L.; Ratti, L.; Comotti, D.; Fabris, L.; Grassi, M.; Malcovati, P.; Manghisoni, M.; Re, V.; Traversi, G.; Vacchi, C.; Batignani, G.; Bettarini, S.; Forti, F.; Casarosa, G.; Morsani, F.; Paladino, A.; Paoloni, E.; Rizzo, G.; Benkechkache, M. A.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Mendicino, R.; Pancheri, L.; Verzellesi, G.; Xu, H.

2017-08-01

The PixFEL collaboration has developed the building blocks for an X-ray imager to be used in applications at FELs. In particular, slim edge pixel detectors with high detection efficiency over a broad energy range, from 1 to 12 keV, have been developed. Moreover, a multichannel readout chip, called PFM2 (PixFEL front-end Matrix 2) and consisting of 32 × 32 cells, has been designed and fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS technology. The pixel pitch is 110 μm, the overall area is around 16 mm2. In the chip, different solutions have been implemented for the readout channel, which includes a charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) with dynamic signal compression, a time-variant shaper and an A-to-D converter with a 10 bit resolution. The CSA can be configured in four different gain modes, so as to comply with photon energies in the 1 to 10 keV range. The paper will describe in detail the channel architecture and present the results from the characterization of PFM2. It will discuss the design of a new version of the chip, called PFM3, suitable for post-processing with peripheral, under-pad through silicon vias (TSVs), which are needed to develop four-side buttable chips and cover large surfaces with minimum inactive area.

Radiation damage caused by cold neutrons in boron doped CMOS active pixel sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linnik, B.; Bus, T.; Deveaux, M.; Doering, D.; Kudejova, P.; Wagner, F. M.; Yazgili, A.; Stroth, J.

2017-05-01

CMOS Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) are considered as an emerging technology in the field of charged particle tracking. They will be used in the vertex detectors of experiments like STAR, CBM and ALICE and are considered for the ILC and the tracker of ATLAS. In those applications, the sensors are exposed to sizeable radiation doses. While the tolerance of MAPS to ionizing radiation and fast hadrons is well known, the damage caused by low energy neutrons was not studied so far. Those slow neutrons may initiate nuclear fission of 10B dopants found in the B-doped silicon active medium of MAPS. This effect was expected to create an unknown amount of radiation damage beyond the predictions of the NIEL (Non Ionizing Energy Loss) model for pure silicon. We estimate the impact of this effect by calculating the additional NIEL created by this fission. Moreover, we show first measured data for CMOS sensors which were irradiated with cold neutrons. The empirical results contradict the prediction of the updated NIEL model both, qualitatively and quantitatively: the sensors irradiated with slow neutrons show an unexpected and strong acceptor removal, which is not observed in sensors irradiated with MeV neutrons.

Geometric correction methods for Timepix based large area detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zemlicka, J.; Dudak, J.; Karch, J.; Krejci, F.

2017-01-01

X-ray micro radiography with the hybrid pixel detectors provides versatile tool for the object inspection in various fields of science. It has proven itself especially suitable for the samples with low intrinsic attenuation contrast (e.g. soft tissue in biology, plastics in material sciences, thin paint layers in cultural heritage, etc.). The limited size of single Medipix type detector (1.96 cm2) was recently overcome by the construction of large area detectors WidePIX assembled of Timepix chips equipped with edgeless silicon sensors. The largest already built device consists of 100 chips and provides fully sensitive area of 14.3 × 14.3 cm2 without any physical gaps between sensors. The pixel resolution of this device is 2560 × 2560 pixels (6.5 Mpix). The unique modular detector layout requires special processing of acquired data to avoid occurring image distortions. It is necessary to use several geometric compensations after standard corrections methods typical for this type of pixel detectors (i.e. flat-field, beam hardening correction). The proposed geometric compensations cover both concept features and particular detector assembly misalignment of individual chip rows of large area detectors based on Timepix assemblies. The former deals with larger border pixels in individual edgeless sensors and their behaviour while the latter grapple with shifts, tilts and steps between detector rows. The real position of all pixels is defined in Cartesian coordinate system and together with non-binary reliability mask it is used for the final image interpolation. The results of geometric corrections for test wire phantoms and paleo botanic material are presented in this article.

Experimental realization of a metamaterial detector focal plane array.

PubMed

Shrekenhamer, David; Xu, Wangren; Venkatesh, Suresh; Schurig, David; Sonkusale, Sameer; Padilla, Willie J

2012-10-26

We present a metamaterial absorber detector array that enables room-temperature, narrow-band detection of gigahertz (GHz) radiation in the S band (2-4 GHz). The system is implemented in a commercial printed circuit board process and we characterize the detector sensitivity and angular dependence. A modified metamaterial absorber geometry allows for each unit cell to act as an isolated detector pixel and to collectively form a focal plane array . Each pixel can have a dedicated microwave receiver chain and functions together as a hybrid device tuned to maximize the efficiency of detected power. The demonstrated subwavelength pixel shows detected sensitivity of -77 dBm, corresponding to a radiation power density of 27 nW/m(2), with pixel to pixel coupling interference below -14 dB at 2.5 GHz.

Prototype AEGIS: A Pixel-Array Readout Circuit for Gamma-Ray Imaging.

PubMed

Barber, H Bradford; Augustine, F L; Furenlid, L; Ingram, C M; Grim, G P

2005-07-31

Semiconductor detector arrays made of CdTe/CdZnTe are expected to be the main components of future high-performance, clinical nuclear medicine imaging systems. Such systems will require small pixel-pitch and much larger numbers of pixels than are available in current semiconductor-detector cameras. We describe the motivation for developing a new readout integrated circuit, AEGIS, for use in hybrid semiconductor detector arrays, that may help spur the development of future cameras. A basic design for AEGIS is presented together with results of an HSPICE ™ simulation of the performance of its unit cell. AEGIS will have a shaper-amplifier unit cell and neighbor pixel readout. Other features include the use of a single input power line with other biases generated on-board, a control register that allows digital control of all thresholds and chip configurations and an output approach that is compatible with list-mode data acquisition. An 8×8 prototype version of AEGIS is currently under development; the full AEGIS will be a 64×64 array with 300 μm pitch.

Optimization of a large-area detector-block based on SiPM and pixelated LYSO crystal arrays.

PubMed

Calva-Coraza, E; Alva-Sánchez, H; Murrieta-Rodríguez, T; Martínez-Dávalos, A; Rodríguez-Villafuerte, M

2017-10-01

We present the performance evaluation of a large-area detector module based on the ArrayC-60035-64P, an 8×8 array of tileable, 7.2mm pitch, silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) by SensL, covering a total area of 57.4mm×57.4mm. We characterized the ArrayC-60035-64P, operating at room temperature, using LYSO pixelated crystal arrays of different pitch sizes (1.075, 1.430, 1.683, 2.080 and 2.280mm) to determine the resolvable crystal size. After an optimization process, a 7mm thick coupling light guide was used for all crystal pitches. To identify the interaction position a 16-channel (8 columns, 8 rows) symmetric charge division (SCD) readout board together with a center-of-gravity algorithm was used. Based on this, we assembled the detector modules using a 40×40 LYSO, 1.43mm pitch array, covering the total detector area. Calibration was performed using a 137 Cs source resulting in excellent crystal maps with minor geometric distortion, a mean 4.1 peak-to-valley ratio and 9.6% mean energy resolution for 662keV photons in the central region. The resolvability index was calculated in the x and y directions with values under 0.42 in all cases. We show that these large area SiPM arrays, combined with a 16-channel SCD readout board, can offer high spatial resolution, without processing a big number of signals, attaining excellent energy resolution and detector uniformity. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Image processing analysis of nuclear track parameters for CR-39 detector irradiated by thermal neutron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Jobouri, Hussain A., E-mail: hahmed54@gmail.com; Rajab, Mustafa Y., E-mail: mostafaheete@gmail.com

CR-39 detector which covered with boric acid (H{sub 3}Bo{sub 3}) pellet was irradiated by thermal neutrons from ({sup 241}Am - {sup 9}Be) source with activity 12Ci and neutron flux 10{sup 5} n. cm{sup −2}. s{sup −1}. The irradiation times -T{sub D} for detector were 4h, 8h, 16h and 24h. Chemical etching solution for detector was sodium hydroxide NaOH, 6.25N with 45 min etching time and 60 C° temperature. Images of CR-39 detector after chemical etching were taken from digital camera which connected from optical microscope. MATLAB software version 7.0 was used to image processing. The outputs of image processing of MATLABmore » software were analyzed and found the following relationships: (a) The irradiation time -T{sub D} has behavior linear relationships with following nuclear track parameters: i) total track number - N{sub T} ii) maximum track number - MRD (relative to track diameter - D{sub T}) at response region range 2.5 µm to 4 µm iii) maximum track number - M{sub D} (without depending on track diameter - D{sub T}). (b) The irradiation time -T{sub D} has behavior logarithmic relationship with maximum track number - M{sub A} (without depending on track area - A{sub T}). The image processing technique principally track diameter - D{sub T} can be take into account to classification of α-particle emitters, In addition to the contribution of these technique in preparation of nano- filters and nano-membrane in nanotechnology fields.« less

Centroid measurement error of CMOS detector in the presence of detector noise for inter-satellite optical communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xin; Zhou, Shihong; Ma, Jing; Tan, Liying; Shen, Tao

2013-08-01

CMOS is a good candidate tracking detector for satellite optical communications systems with outstanding feature of sub-window for the development of APS (Active Pixel Sensor) technology. For inter-satellite optical communications it is critical to estimate the direction of incident laser beam precisely by measuring the centroid position of incident beam spot. The presence of detector noise results in measurement error, which degrades the tracking performance of systems. In this research, the measurement error of CMOS is derived taking consideration of detector noise. It is shown that the measurement error depends on pixel noise, size of the tracking sub-window (pixels number), intensity of incident laser beam, relative size of beam spot. The influences of these factors are analyzed by numerical simulation. We hope the results obtained in this research will be helpful in the design of CMOS detector satellite optical communications systems.

Dosimetric characterization with 62 MeV protons of a silicon-segmented detector for 2D dose verifications in radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talamonti, C.; Bucciolini, M.; Marrazzo, L.; Menichelli, D.; Bruzzi, M.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Cuttone, G.; LoJacono, P.

2008-10-01

Due to the features of the modern radiotherapy techniques, namely intensity modulated radiation therapy and proton therapy, where high spatial dose gradients are often present, detectors to be employed for 2D dose verifications have to satisfy very narrow requirements. In particular they have to show high spatial resolution. In the framework of the European Integrated Project—Methods and Advanced Equipment for Simulation and Treatment in Radio-Oncology (MAESTRO, no. LSHC-CT-2004-503564), a dosimetric detector adequate for 2D pre-treatment dose verifications was developed. It is a modular detector, based on a monolithic silicon-segmented sensor, with an n-type implantation on an epitaxial p-type layer. Each pixel element is 2×2 mm 2 and the distance center-to-center is 3 mm. The sensor is composed of 21×21 pixels. In this paper, we report the dosimetric characterization of the system with a proton beam. The sensor was irradiated with 62 MeV protons for clinical treatments at INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) Catania. The studied parameters were repeatability of a same pixel, response linearity versus absorbed dose, and dose rate and dependence on field size. The obtained results are promising since the performances are within the project specifications.

An algorithm for automatic crystal identification in pixelated scintillation detectors using thin plate splines and Gaussian mixture models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schellenberg, Graham; Stortz, Greg; Goertzen, Andrew L.

2016-02-01

A typical positron emission tomography detector is comprised of a scintillator crystal array coupled to a photodetector array or other position sensitive detector. Such detectors using light sharing to read out crystal elements require the creation of a crystal lookup table (CLUT) that maps the detector response to the crystal of interaction based on the x-y position of the event calculated through Anger-type logic. It is vital for system performance that these CLUTs be accurate so that the location of events can be accurately identified and so that crystal-specific corrections, such as energy windowing or time alignment, can be applied. While using manual segmentation of the flood image to create the CLUT is a simple and reliable approach, it is both tedious and time consuming for systems with large numbers of crystal elements. In this work we describe the development of an automated algorithm for CLUT generation that uses a Gaussian mixture model paired with thin plate splines (TPS) to iteratively fit a crystal layout template that includes the crystal numbering pattern. Starting from a region of stability, Gaussians are individually fit to data corresponding to crystal locations while simultaneously updating a TPS for predicting future Gaussian locations at the edge of a region of interest that grows as individual Gaussians converge to crystal locations. The algorithm was tested with flood image data collected from 16 detector modules, each consisting of a 409 crystal dual-layer offset LYSO crystal array readout by a 32 pixel SiPM array. For these detector flood images, depending on user defined input parameters, the algorithm runtime ranged between 17.5-82.5 s per detector on a single core of an Intel i7 processor. The method maintained an accuracy above 99.8% across all tests, with the majority of errors being localized to error prone corner regions. This method can be easily extended for use with other detector types through adjustment of the initial

Energy deposition measurements of single 1H, 4He and 12C ions of therapeutic energies in a silicon pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gehrke, T.; Burigo, L.; Arico, G.; Berke, S.; Jakubek, J.; Turecek, D.; Tessonnier, T.; Mairani, A.; Martišíková, M.

2017-04-01

In the field of ion-beam radiotherapy and space applications, measurements of the energy deposition of single ions in thin layers are of interest for dosimetry and imaging. The present work investigates the capability of a pixelated detector Timepix to measure the energy deposition of single ions in therapeutic proton, helium- and carbon-ion beams in a 300 μm-thick sensitive silicon layer. For twelve different incident beams, the measured energy deposition distributions of single ions are compared to the expected energy deposition spectra, which were predicted by detailed Monte Carlo simulations using the FLUKA code. A methodology for the analysis of the measured data is introduced in order to identify and reject signals that are either degraded or caused by multiple overlapping ions. Applying a newly proposed linear recalibration, the energy deposition measurements are in good agreement with the simulations. The twelve measured mean energy depositions between 0.72 MeV/mm and 56.63 MeV/mm in a partially depleted silicon sensor do not deviate more than 7% from the corresponding simulated values. Measurements of energy depositions above 10 MeV/mm with a fully depleted sensor are found to suffer from saturation effects due to the too high per-pixel signal. The utilization of thinner sensors, in which a lower signal is induced, could further improve the performance of the Timepix detector for energy deposition measurements.

DEPFET detectors for future electron-positron colliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinas, C.

2015-11-01

The DEPFET Collaboration develops highly granular, ultra-thin pixel detectors for outstanding vertex reconstruction at future electron-positron collider experiments. A DEPFET sensor, by the integration of a field effect transistor on a fully depleted silicon bulk, provides simultaneous position sensitive detector capabilities and in pixel amplification. The characterization of the latest DEPFET prototypes has proven that a adequate signal-to-noise ratio and excellent single point resolution can be achieved for a sensor thickness of 50 micrometers. The close to final auxiliary ASICs have been produced and found to operate a DEPFET pixel detector of the latest generation with the required read-out speed. A complete detector concept is being developed for the Belle II experiment at the new Japanese super flavor factory. DEPFET is not only the technology of choice for the Belle II vertex detector, but also a prime candidate for the ILC. Therefore, in this contribution, the status of DEPFET R&D project is reviewed in the light of the requirements of the vertex detector at a future electron-positron collider.

Theory and applications of structured light single pixel imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stokoe, Robert J.; Stockton, Patrick A.; Pezeshki, Ali; Bartels, Randy A.

2018-02-01

Many single-pixel imaging techniques have been developed in recent years. Though the methods of image acquisition vary considerably, the methods share unifying features that make general analysis possible. Furthermore, the methods developed thus far are based on intuitive processes that enable simple and physically-motivated reconstruction algorithms, however, this approach may not leverage the full potential of single-pixel imaging. We present a general theoretical framework of single-pixel imaging based on frame theory, which enables general, mathematically rigorous analysis. We apply our theoretical framework to existing single-pixel imaging techniques, as well as provide a foundation for developing more-advanced methods of image acquisition and reconstruction. The proposed frame theoretic framework for single-pixel imaging results in improved noise robustness, decrease in acquisition time, and can take advantage of special properties of the specimen under study. By building on this framework, new methods of imaging with a single element detector can be developed to realize the full potential associated with single-pixel imaging.

Tritium autoradiography with thinned and back-side illuminated monolithic active pixel sensor device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deptuch, G.

2005-05-01

The first autoradiographic results of the tritium ( 3H) marked source obtained with monolithic active pixel sensors are presented. The detector is a high-resolution, back-side illuminated imager, developed within the SUCIMA collaboration for low-energy (<30 keV) electrons detection. The sensitivity to these energies is obtained by thinning the detector, originally fabricated in the form of a standard VLSI chip, down to the thickness of the epitaxial layer. The detector used is the 1×10 6 pixel, thinned MIMOSA V chip. The low noise performance and thin (˜160 nm) entrance window provide the sensitivity of the device to energies as low as ˜4 keV. A polymer tritium source was parked directly atop the detector in open-air conditions. A real-time image of the source was obtained.

Advanced testing of the DEPFET minimatrix particle detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andricek, L.; Kodyš, P.; Koffmane, C.; Ninkovic, J.; Oswald, C.; Richter, R.; Ritter, A.; Rummel, S.; Scheirich, J.; Wassatsch, A.

2012-01-01

The DEPFET (DEPleted Field Effect Transistor) is an active pixel particle detector with a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) integrated in each pixel, providing first amplification stage of readout electronics. Excellent signal over noise performance is gained this way. The DEPFET sensor will be used as a vertex detector in the Belle II experiment at SuperKEKB, electron-positron collider in Japan. The vertex detector will be composed of two layers of pixel detectors (DEPFET) and four layers of strip detectors. The DEPFET sensor requires switching and current readout circuits for its operation. These circuits have been designed as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) in several different versions, but they provide insufficient flexibility for precise detector testing. Therefore, a test system with a flexible control cycle range and minimal noise has been designed for testing and characterizing of small detector prototypes (Minimatrices). Sensors with different design layouts and thicknesses are produced in order to evaluate and select the one with the best performance for the Belle II application. Description of the test system as well as measurement results are presented.

The stability of TlBr detectors at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dönmez, Burçin; He, Zhong; Kim, Hadong; Cirignano, Leonard J.; Shah, Kanai S.

2010-11-01

Thallium bromide (TlBr) is a promising semiconductor detector material due to its high atomic number (Tl: 81, Br: 35), high density (7.56 g/cm 3) and wide band gap (2.68 eV). Current TlBr detectors suffer from polarization, which causes performance degradation over time when high voltage is applied. A 4.6-mm thick TlBr detector with pixellated anodes made by Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc. was used in the experiments. The detector has a planar cathode and nine anode pixels surrounded by a guard ring. The pixel pitch is 1.0-mm. Digital pulse waveforms of preamplifier outputs were recorded using a multi-channel GaGe PCI digitizer board for pulse shaping. Several experiments were carried out at -20 °C while the detector was under bias for over a month. No polarization effect was observed and the detector's spectroscopic performance improved over time. Energy resolution of 1.5% FWHM at 662 keV has been measured without depth correction at -2000 V cathode bias. Average electron mobility-lifetime of (5.7±0.8) ×10 -3 cm 2/V has been measured from four anode pixels.

Tracking Detectors in the STAR Experiment at RHIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieman, Howard

2015-04-01

The STAR experiment at RHIC is designed to measure and identify the thousands of particles produced in 200 Gev/nucleon Au on Au collisions. This talk will focus on the design and construction of two of the main tracking detectors in the experiment, the TPC and the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) pixel detector. The TPC is a solenoidal gas filled detector 4 meters in diameter and 4.2 meters long. It provides precise, continuous tracking and rate of energy loss in the gas (dE/dx) for particles at + - 1 units of pseudo rapidity. The tracking in a half Tesla magnetic field measures momentum and dE/dX provides particle ID. To detect short lived particles tracking close to the point of interaction is required. The HFT pixel detector is a two-layered, high resolution vertex detector located at a few centimeters radius from the collision point. It determines origins of the tracks to a few tens of microns for the purpose of extracting displaced vertices, allowing the identification of D mesons and other short-lived particles. The HFT pixel detector uses detector chips developed by the IPHC group at Strasbourg that are based on standard IC Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. This is the first time that CMOS pixel chips have been incorporated in a collider application.

Module and electronics developments for the ATLAS ITk pixel system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muñoz, F. J.

2018-03-01

The ATLAS experiment is preparing for an extensive modification of its detectors in the course of the planned HL-LHC accelerator upgrade around 2025. The ATLAS upgrade includes the replacement of the entire tracking system by an all-silicon detector (Inner Tracker, ITk). The five innermost layers of ITk will be a pixel detector built of new sensor and readout electronics technologies to improve the tracking performance and cope with the severe HL-LHC environment in terms of occupancy and radiation. The total area of the new pixel system could measure up to 14 m2, depending on the final layout choice, which is expected to take place in 2018. In this paper an overview of the ongoing R&D activities on modules and electronics for the ATLAS ITk is given including the main developments and achievements in silicon planar and 3D sensor technologies, readout and power challenges.

Reconstruction of 2D PET data with Monte Carlo generated system matrix for generalized natural pixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandenberghe, Stefaan; Staelens, Steven; Byrne, Charles L.; Soares, Edward J.; Lemahieu, Ignace; Glick, Stephen J.

2006-06-01

In discrete detector PET, natural pixels are image basis functions calculated from the response of detector pairs. By using reconstruction with natural pixel basis functions, the discretization of the object into a predefined grid can be avoided. Here, we propose to use generalized natural pixel reconstruction. Using this approach, the basis functions are not the detector sensitivity functions as in the natural pixel case but uniform parallel strips. The backprojection of the strip coefficients results in the reconstructed image. This paper proposes an easy and efficient way to generate the matrix M directly by Monte Carlo simulation. Elements of the generalized natural pixel system matrix are formed by calculating the intersection of a parallel strip with the detector sensitivity function. These generalized natural pixels are easier to use than conventional natural pixels because the final step from solution to a square pixel representation is done by simple backprojection. Due to rotational symmetry in the PET scanner, the matrix M is block circulant and only the first blockrow needs to be stored. Data were generated using a fast Monte Carlo simulator using ray tracing. The proposed method was compared to a listmode MLEM algorithm, which used ray tracing for doing forward and backprojection. Comparison of the algorithms with different phantoms showed that an improved resolution can be obtained using generalized natural pixel reconstruction with accurate system modelling. In addition, it was noted that for the same resolution a lower noise level is present in this reconstruction. A numerical observer study showed the proposed method exhibited increased performance as compared to a standard listmode EM algorithm. In another study, more realistic data were generated using the GATE Monte Carlo simulator. For these data, a more uniform contrast recovery and a better contrast-to-noise performance were observed. It was observed that major improvements in contrast

Amorphous selenium direct detection CMOS digital x-ray imager with 25 micron pixel pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Christopher C.; Abbaszadeh, Shiva; Ghanbarzadeh, Sina; Allan, Gary; Farrier, Michael; Cunningham, Ian A.; Karim, Karim S.

2014-03-01

We have developed a high resolution amorphous selenium (a-Se) direct detection imager using a large-area compatible back-end fabrication process on top of a CMOS active pixel sensor having 25 micron pixel pitch. Integration of a-Se with CMOS technology requires overcoming CMOS/a-Se interfacial strain, which initiates nucleation of crystalline selenium and results in high detector dark currents. A CMOS-compatible polyimide buffer layer was used to planarize the backplane and provide a low stress and thermally stable surface for a-Se. The buffer layer inhibits crystallization and provides detector stability that is not only a performance factor but also critical for favorable long term cost-benefit considerations in the application of CMOS digital x-ray imagers in medical practice. The detector structure is comprised of a polyimide (PI) buffer layer, the a-Se layer, and a gold (Au) top electrode. The PI layer is applied by spin-coating and is patterned using dry etching to open the backplane bond pads for wire bonding. Thermal evaporation is used to deposit the a-Se and Au layers, and the detector is operated in hole collection mode (i.e. a positive bias on the Au top electrode). High resolution a-Se diagnostic systems typically use 70 to 100 μm pixel pitch and have a pre-sampling modulation transfer function (MTF) that is significantly limited by the pixel aperture. Our results confirm that, for a densely integrated 25 μm pixel pitch CMOS array, the MTF approaches the fundamental material limit, i.e. where the MTF begins to be limited by the a-Se material properties and not the pixel aperture. Preliminary images demonstrating high spatial resolution have been obtained from a frst prototype imager.

1024x1024 Pixel MWIR and LWIR QWIP Focal Plane Arrays and 320x256 MWIR:LWIR Pixel Colocated Simultaneous Dualband QWIP Focal Plane Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gunapala, Sarath D.; Bandara, Sumith V.; Liu, John K.; Hill, Cory J.; Rafol, S. B.; Mumolo, Jason M.; Trinh, Joseph T.; Tidrow, M. Z.; Le Van, P. D.

2005-01-01

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024x1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NE(Delta)T) of 17 mK at a 95K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NE(Delta)T of 13 mK at a 70K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90K and 70K operating-temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. In addition, we are in the process of developing MWIR and LWIR pixel collocated simultaneously readable dualband QWIP focal plane arrays.

Segmented Ge detector rejection of internal beta activity produced by neutron irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varnell, L. S.; Callas, J. L.; Mahoney, W. A.; Pehl, R. H.; Landis, D. A.

1991-01-01

Future Ge spectrometers flown in space to observe cosmic gamma-ray sources will incorporate segmented detectors to reduce the background from radioactivity produced by energetic particle reactions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of a segmented Ge detector in rejecting background events due to the beta decay of internal radioactivity, a laboratory experiment has been carried out in which radioactivity was produced in the detector by neutron irradiation. A Cf-252 source of neutrons was used to produce, by neutron capture on Ge-74 (36.5 percent of natural Ge) in the detector itself, Ge-75 (t sub 1/2 = 82.78 min), which decays by beta emission with a maximum electron kinetic energy of 1188 keV. By requiring that an ionizing event deposit energy in two or more of the five segments of the detector, each about 1-cm thick, the beta particles, which have a range of about 1-mm, are rejected, while most external gamma rays incident on the detector are counted. Analysis of this experiment indicates that over 85 percent of the beta events from the decay of Ge-75 are rejected, which is in good agreement with Monte Carlo calculations.

Pixelated filters for spatial imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathieu, Karine; Lequime, Michel; Lumeau, Julien; Abel-Tiberini, Laetitia; Savin De Larclause, Isabelle; Berthon, Jacques

2015-10-01

Small satellites are often used by spatial agencies to meet scientific spatial mission requirements. Their payloads are composed of various instruments collecting an increasing amount of data, as well as respecting the growing constraints relative to volume and mass; So small-sized integrated camera have taken a favored place among these instruments. To ensure scene specific color information sensing, pixelated filters seem to be more attractive than filter wheels. The work presented here, in collaboration with Institut Fresnel, deals with the manufacturing of this kind of component, based on thin film technologies and photolithography processes. CCD detectors with a pixel pitch about 30 μm were considered. In the configuration where the matrix filters are positioned the closest to the detector, the matrix filters are composed of 2x2 macro pixels (e.g. 4 filters). These 4 filters have a bandwidth about 40 nm and are respectively centered at 550, 700, 770 and 840 nm with a specific rejection rate defined on the visible spectral range [500 - 900 nm]. After an intense design step, 4 thin-film structures have been elaborated with a maximum thickness of 5 μm. A run of tests has allowed us to choose the optimal micro-structuration parameters. The 100x100 matrix filters prototypes have been successfully manufactured with lift-off and ion assisted deposition processes. High spatial and spectral characterization, with a dedicated metrology bench, showed that initial specifications and simulations were globally met. These excellent performances knock down the technological barriers for high-end integrated specific multi spectral imaging.

Applications of a pnCCD detector coupled to columnar structure CsI(Tl) scintillator system in ultra high energy X-ray Laue diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokr, M.; Schlosser, D.; Abboud, A.; Algashi, A.; Tosson, A.; Conka, T.; Hartmann, R.; Klaus, M.; Genzel, C.; Strüder, L.; Pietsch, U.

2017-12-01

Most charge coupled devices (CCDs) are made of silicon (Si) with typical active layer thicknesses of several microns. In case of a pnCCD detector the sensitive Si thickness is 450 μm. However, for silicon based detectors the quantum efficiency for hard X-rays drops significantly for photon energies above 10 keV . This drawback can be overcome by combining a pixelated silicon-based detector system with a columnar scintillator. Here we report on the characterization of a low noise, fully depleted 128×128 pixels pnCCD detector with 75×75 μm2 pixel size coupled to a 700 μm thick columnar CsI(Tl) scintillator in the photon range between 1 keV to 130 keV . The excellent performance of the detection system in the hard X-ray range is demonstrated in a Laue type X-ray diffraction experiment performed at EDDI beamline of the BESSY II synchrotron taken at a set of several GaAs single crystals irradiated by white synchrotron radiation. With the columnar structure of the scintillator, the position resolution of the whole system reaches a value of less than one pixel. Using the presented detector system and considering the functional relation between indirect and direct photon events Laue diffraction peaks with X-ray energies up to 120 keV were efficiently detected. As one of possible applications of the combined CsI-pnCCD system we demonstrate that the accuracy of X-ray structure factors extracted from Laue diffraction peaks can be significantly improved in hard X-ray range using the combined CsI(Tl)-pnCCD system compared to a bare pnCCD.

Plasma-panel based detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Peter

2017-09-01

The plasma panel sensor (PPS) is a novel micropattern gas detector inspired by plasma display panels (PDPs), the core component of plasma-TVs. A PDP comprises millions of discrete cells per square meter, each of which, when provided with a signal pulse, can initiate and sustain a plasma discharge. Configured as a detector, a pixel or cell is biased to discharge when a free-electron is generated in the gas. The PPS consists of an array of small plasma discharge pixels, and can be configured to have either an ``open-cell'' or ``closed-cell'' structure, operating with high gain in the Geiger region. We describe both configurations and their application to particle physics. The open-cell PPS lends itself to ultra-low-mass, ultrathin structures, whereas the closed-cell microhexcavity PPS is capable of higher performance. For the ultrathin-PPS, we are fabricating 3-inch devices based on two types of extremely thin, inorganic, transparent, substrate materials: one being 8-10 µm thick, and the other 25-27 µm thick. These gas-filled ultrathin devices are designed to operate in a beam-line vacuum environment, yet must be hermetically-sealed and gas-filled in an ambient environment at atmospheric pressure. We have successfully fabricated high resolution, submillimeter pixel electrodes on both types of ultrathin substrates. We will also report on the fabrication, staging and operation of the first microhexcavity detectors (µH-PPS). The first µH-PPS prototype devices have a 16 by 16 matrix of closed packed hexagon pixels, each having a 2 mm width. Initial tests of these detectors, conducted with Ne based gases at atmospheric pressure, indicate that each pixel responds independent of its neighboring cells, producing volt level pulse amplitudes in response to ionizing radiation. Results will include the hit rate response to a radioactive beta source, cosmic ray muons, the background from spontaneous discharge, pixel isolation and uniformity, and efficiency measurements. This

The 150 ns detector project: Prototype preamplifier results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warburton, W. K.; Russell, S. R.; Kleinfelder, Stuart A.

1994-08-01

The long-term goal of the 150 ns detector project is to develop a pixel area detector capable of 6 MHz frame rates (150 ns/frame). Our milestones toward this goal are: a single pixel, 1×256 1D and 8×8 2D detectors, 256×256 2D detectors and, finally, 1024 × 1024 2D detectors. The design strategy is to supply a complete electronics chain (resetting preamp, selectable gain amplifier, analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and memory) for each pixel. In the final detectors these will all be custom integrated circuits. The front-end preamplifiers are integrated first, since their design and performance are the most unusual and also critical to the project's success. Similarly, our early work is concentrated on devising and perfecting detector structures. In this paper we demonstrate the performance of prototypes of our integrated preamplifiers. While the final design will have 64 preamps to a chip, including a switchable gain stage, the prototypes were integrated 8 channels to a "Tiny Chip" and tested in 4 configurations (feedback capacitor Cf equal 2.5 or 4.0 pF, output directly or through a source follower). These devices have been tested thoroughly for reset settling times, gain, linearity, and electronic noise. They generally work as designed, being fast enough to easily integrate detector charge, settle, and reset in 150 ns. Gain and linearity appear to be acceptable. Current values of electronic noise, in double-sampling mode, are about twice the design goal of {2}/{3} of a single photon at 6 keV. We expect this figure to improve with the addition of the onboard amplifier stage and improved packaging. Our next test chip will include these improvements and allow testing with our first detector samples, which will be 1×256 (50 μm wide pixels) and 8×8 (1 mm 2 pixels) element detector on 1 mm thick silicon.

Evaluation of Origin Ensemble algorithm for image reconstruction for pixelated solid-state detectors with large number of channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolstein, M.; De Lorenzo, G.; Mikhaylova, E.; Chmeissani, M.; Ariño, G.; Calderón, Y.; Ozsahin, I.; Uzun, D.

2013-04-01

The Voxel Imaging PET (VIP) Pathfinder project intends to show the advantages of using pixelated solid-state technology for nuclear medicine applications. It proposes designs for Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) and Compton gamma camera detectors with a large number of signal channels (of the order of 106). For PET scanners, conventional algorithms like Filtered Back-Projection (FBP) and Ordered Subset Expectation Maximization (OSEM) are straightforward to use and give good results. However, FBP presents difficulties for detectors with limited angular coverage like PEM and Compton gamma cameras, whereas OSEM has an impractically large time and memory consumption for a Compton gamma camera with a large number of channels. In this article, the Origin Ensemble (OE) algorithm is evaluated as an alternative algorithm for image reconstruction. Monte Carlo simulations of the PET design are used to compare the performance of OE, FBP and OSEM in terms of the bias, variance and average mean squared error (MSE) image quality metrics. For the PEM and Compton camera designs, results obtained with OE are presented.

WFC3 UVIS Pixel-to-Pixel QE Variations via Internal Flats Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mckay, Myles

2017-08-01

The UVIS detector has a population of pixels that exhibit anomalous QE variations between anneals, characterized by a sensitivity loss that is greater in the shorter wavelengths(blue) than in the longer wavelengths(red). This population is distributed randomly, with evidence of grouping behavior in the UV, and is seemingly different for each anneal cycle. This program, a continuation of cycle 24 program 14546, will aim to constrain the maximum low-sensitivity population existing before an anneal in both the UV and Visible filters. To monitor the UV behavior, internal flats with the Deuterium D2 lamp will be taken through the filters, F225W and F336W. To monitor the behavior in the Visible filters, internal flats with the tungsten lamp will be taken through F814W and F438W a week before the anneal, when the population of anomalous pixels is the greatest.

Extraction of incident irradiance from LWIR hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahaie, Pierre

2014-10-01

The atmospheric correction of thermal hyperspectral imagery can be separated in two distinct processes: Atmospheric Compensation (AC) and Temperature and Emissivity separation (TES). TES requires for input at each pixel, the ground leaving radiance and the atmospheric downwelling irradiance, which are the outputs of the AC process. The extraction from imagery of the downwelling irradiance requires assumptions about some of the pixels' nature, the sensor and the atmosphere. Another difficulty is that, often the sensor's spectral response is not well characterized. To deal with this unknown, we defined a spectral mean operator that is used to filter the ground leaving radiance and a computation of the downwelling irradiance from MODTRAN. A user will select a number of pixels in the image for which the emissivity is assumed to be known. The emissivity of these pixels is assumed to be smooth and that the only spectrally fast varying variable in the downwelling irradiance. Using these assumptions we built an algorithm to estimate the downwelling irradiance. The algorithm is used on all the selected pixels. The estimated irradiance is the average on the spectral channels of the resulting computation. The algorithm performs well in simulation and results are shown for errors in the assumed emissivity and for errors in the atmospheric profiles. The sensor noise influences mainly the required number of pixels.

A system for characterization of DEPFET silicon pixel matrices and test beam results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furletov, Sergey; DEPFET Collaboration

2011-02-01

The DEPFET pixel detector offers first stage in-pixel amplification by incorporating a field effect transistor in the high resistivity silicon substrate. In this concept, a very small input capacitance can be realized thus allowing for low noise measurements. This makes DEPFET sensors a favorable technology for tracking in particle physics. Therefore a system with a DEPFET pixel matrix was developed to test DEPFET performance for an application as a vertex detector for the Belle II experiment. The system features a current based, row-wise readout of a DEPFET pixel matrix with a designated readout chip, steering chips for matrix control, a FPGA based data acquisition board, and a dedicated software package. The system was successfully operated in both test beam and lab environment. In 2009 new DEPFET matrices have been characterized in a 120 GeV pion beam at the CERN SPS. The current status of the DEPFET system and test beam results are presented.

Design, optimization and evaluation of a "smart" pixel sensor array for low-dose digital radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kai; Liu, Xinghui; Ou, Hai; Chen, Jun

2016-04-01

Amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been widely used to build flat-panel X-ray detectors for digital radiography (DR). As the demand for low-dose X-ray imaging grows, a detector with high signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) pixel architecture emerges. "Smart" pixel is intended to use a dual-gate photosensitive TFT for sensing, storage, and switch. It differs from a conventional passive pixel sensor (PPS) and active pixel sensor (APS) in that all these three functions are combined into one device instead of three separate units in a pixel. Thus, it is expected to have high fill factor and high spatial resolution. In addition, it utilizes the amplification effect of the dual-gate photosensitive TFT to form a one-transistor APS that leads to a potentially high SNR. This paper addresses the design, optimization and evaluation of the smart pixel sensor and array for low-dose DR. We will design and optimize the smart pixel from the scintillator to TFT levels and validate it through optical and electrical simulation and experiments of a 4x4 sensor array.

Indium-bump-free antimonide superlattice membrane detectors on silicon substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zamiri, M., E-mail: mzamiri@chtm.unm.edu, E-mail: skrishna@chtm.unm.edu; Klein, B.; Schuler-Sandy, T.

2016-02-29

We present an approach to realize antimonide superlattices on silicon substrates without using conventional Indium-bump hybridization. In this approach, PIN superlattices are grown on top of a 60 nm Al{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4}Sb sacrificial layer on a GaSb host substrate. Following the growth, the individual pixels are transferred using our epitaxial-lift off technique, which consists of a wet-etch to undercut the pixels followed by a dry-stamp process to transfer the pixels to a silicon substrate prepared with a gold layer. Structural and optical characterization of the transferred pixels was done using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence. The interface betweenmore » the transferred pixels and the new substrate was abrupt, and no significant degradation in the optical quality was observed. An Indium-bump-free membrane detector was then fabricated using this approach. Spectral response measurements provided a 100% cut-off wavelength of 4.3 μm at 77 K. The performance of the membrane detector was compared to a control detector on the as-grown substrate. The membrane detector was limited by surface leakage current. The proposed approach could pave the way for wafer-level integration of photonic detectors on silicon substrates, which could dramatically reduce the cost of these detectors.« less

Prototype of a gigabit data transmitter in 65 nm CMOS for DEPFET pixel detectors at Belle-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishishita, T.; Krüger, H.; Hemperek, T.; Lemarenko, M.; Koch, M.; Gronewald, M.; Wermes, N.

2013-08-01

This paper describes the recent development of a gigabit data transmitter for the Belle-II pixel detector (PXD). The PXD is an innermost detector currently under development for the upgraded KEK-B factory in Japan. The PXD consists of two layers of DEPFET sensor modules located at 1.8 and 2.2 cm radii. Each module is equipped with three different ASIC types mounted on the detector substrate with a flip-chip technique: (a) SWITCHER for generating steering signals for the DEPFET sensors, (b) DCD for digitizing the signal currents, and (c) DHP for performing data processing and sending the data off the module to the back-end data handling hybrid via ∼ 40 cm Kapton flex and 12-15 m twisted pair (TWP) cables. To meet the requirements of the PXD data transmission, a prototype of the DHP data transmitter has been developed in a 65-nm standard CMOS technology. The transmitter test chip consists of current-mode logic (CML) drivers and a phase-locked loop (PLL) which generates a clock signal for a 1.6 Gbit/s output data stream from an 80 cm reference clock. A programmable pre-emphasis circuit is also implemented in the CML driver to compensate signal losses in the long cable by shaping the transmitted pulse response. The jitter performance was measured as 25 ps (1 σ distribution) by connecting the chip with 38 cm flex and 10 m TWP cables.

Proof of principle study of the use of a CMOS active pixel sensor for proton radiography.

PubMed

Seco, Joao; Depauw, Nicolas

2011-02-01

Proof of principle study of the use of a CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) in producing proton radiographic images using the proton beam at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). A CMOS APS, previously tested for use in s-ray radiation therapy applications, was used for proton beam radiographic imaging at the MGH. Two different setups were used as a proof of principle that CMOS can be used as proton imaging device: (i) a pen with two metal screws to assess spatial resolution of the CMOS and (ii) a phantom with lung tissue, bone tissue, and water to assess tissue contrast of the CMOS. The sensor was then traversed by a double scattered monoenergetic proton beam at 117 MeV, and the energy deposition inside the detector was recorded to assess its energy response. Conventional x-ray images with similar setup at voltages of 70 kVp and proton images using commercial Gafchromic EBT 2 and Kodak X-Omat V films were also taken for comparison purposes. Images were successfully acquired and compared to x-ray kVp and proton EBT2/X-Omat film images. The spatial resolution of the CMOS detector image is subjectively comparable to the EBT2 and Kodak X-Omat V film images obtained at the same object-detector distance. X-rays have apparent higher spatial resolution than the CMOS. However, further studies with different commercial films using proton beam irradiation demonstrate that the distance of the detector to the object is important to the amount of proton scatter contributing to the proton image. Proton images obtained with films at different distances from the source indicate that proton scatter significantly affects the CMOS image quality. Proton radiographic images were successfully acquired at MGH using a CMOS active pixel sensor detector. The CMOS demonstrated spatial resolution subjectively comparable to films at the same object-detector distance. Further work will be done in order to establish the spatial and energy resolution of the CMOS detector for protons. The

Proof of principle study of the use of a CMOS active pixel sensor for proton radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seco, Joao; Depauw, Nicolas

2011-02-15

Purpose: Proof of principle study of the use of a CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) in producing proton radiographic images using the proton beam at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Methods: A CMOS APS, previously tested for use in s-ray radiation therapy applications, was used for proton beam radiographic imaging at the MGH. Two different setups were used as a proof of principle that CMOS can be used as proton imaging device: (i) a pen with two metal screws to assess spatial resolution of the CMOS and (ii) a phantom with lung tissue, bone tissue, and water to assess tissuemore » contrast of the CMOS. The sensor was then traversed by a double scattered monoenergetic proton beam at 117 MeV, and the energy deposition inside the detector was recorded to assess its energy response. Conventional x-ray images with similar setup at voltages of 70 kVp and proton images using commercial Gafchromic EBT 2 and Kodak X-Omat V films were also taken for comparison purposes. Results: Images were successfully acquired and compared to x-ray kVp and proton EBT2/X-Omat film images. The spatial resolution of the CMOS detector image is subjectively comparable to the EBT2 and Kodak X-Omat V film images obtained at the same object-detector distance. X-rays have apparent higher spatial resolution than the CMOS. However, further studies with different commercial films using proton beam irradiation demonstrate that the distance of the detector to the object is important to the amount of proton scatter contributing to the proton image. Proton images obtained with films at different distances from the source indicate that proton scatter significantly affects the CMOS image quality. Conclusion: Proton radiographic images were successfully acquired at MGH using a CMOS active pixel sensor detector. The CMOS demonstrated spatial resolution subjectively comparable to films at the same object-detector distance. Further work will be done in order to establish the spatial and energy resolution

Circuit for high resolution decoding of multi-anode microchannel array detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasle, David B. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A circuit for high resolution decoding of multi-anode microchannel array detectors consisting of input registers accepting transient inputs from the anode array; anode encoding logic circuits connected to the input registers; midpoint pipeline registers connected to the anode encoding logic circuits; and pixel decoding logic circuits connected to the midpoint pipeline registers is described. A high resolution algorithm circuit operates in parallel with the pixel decoding logic circuit and computes a high resolution least significant bit to enhance the multianode microchannel array detector's spatial resolution by halving the pixel size and doubling the number of pixels in each axis of the anode array. A multiplexer is connected to the pixel decoding logic circuit and allows a user selectable pixel address output according to the actual multi-anode microchannel array detector anode array size. An output register concatenates the high resolution least significant bit onto the standard ten bit pixel address location to provide an eleven bit pixel address, and also stores the full eleven bit pixel address. A timing and control state machine is connected to the input registers, the anode encoding logic circuits, and the output register for managing the overall operation of the circuit.

Simulations of radiation-damaged 3D detectors for the Super-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennicard, D.; Pellegrini, G.; Fleta, C.; Bates, R.; O'Shea, V.; Parkes, C.; Tartoni, N.

2008-07-01

Future high-luminosity colliders, such as the Super-LHC at CERN, will require pixel detectors capable of withstanding extremely high radiation damage. In this article, the performances of various 3D detector structures are simulated with up to 1×1016 1 MeV- neq/cm2 radiation damage. The simulations show that 3D detectors have higher collection efficiency and lower depletion voltages than planar detectors due to their small electrode spacing. When designing a 3D detector with a large pixel size, such as an ATLAS sensor, different electrode column layouts are possible. Using a small number of n+ readout electrodes per pixel leads to higher depletion voltages and lower collection efficiency, due to the larger electrode spacing. Conversely, using more electrodes increases both the insensitive volume occupied by the electrode columns and the capacitive noise. Overall, the best performance after 1×1016 1 MeV- neq/cm2 damage is achieved by using 4-6 n+ electrodes per pixel.

Development of Kilo-Pixel Arrays of Transition-Edge Sensors for X-Ray Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, J. S.; Bandler, S. R.; Busch, S. E.; Chervenak, J. A.; Chiao, M. P.; Eckart, M. E.; Ewin, A. J.; Finkbeiner, F. M.; Kelley, R. L.; Kelly, D. P.;

Realistic full wave modeling of focal plane array pixels

DOE PAGES

Campione, Salvatore; Warne, Larry K.; Jorgenson, Roy E.; ...

2017-11-01

Here, we investigate full-wave simulations of realistic implementations of multifunctional nanoantenna enabled detectors (NEDs). We focus on a 2x2 pixelated array structure that supports two wavelengths of operation. We design each resonating structure independently using full-wave simulations with periodic boundary conditions mimicking the whole infinite array. We then construct a supercell made of a 2x2 pixelated array with periodic boundary conditions mimicking the full NED; in this case, however, each pixel comprises 10-20 antennas per side. In this way, the cross-talk between contiguous pixels is accounted for in our simulations. We observe that, even though there are finite extent effects,more » the pixels work as designed, each responding at the respective wavelength of operation. This allows us to stress that realistic simulations of multifunctional NEDs need to be performed to verify the design functionality by taking into account finite extent and cross-talk effects.« less

Effect of electron irradiation dose on the performance of avalanche photodiode electron detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawauchi, Taizo; Wilde, Markus; Fukutani, Katsuyuki

2009-01-01

Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are efficient detectors for electrons with energies below 100 keV. The damaging effects of 8 keV electron beam irradiation on the dark current and the output signal of the APD detector were investigated in this study. The APD dark current increases after electron doses exceeding 1.4x10{sup 13} cm{sup -2}. Preirradiation by high doses of 8 keV electrons further causes a deformation of the pulse height distribution of the APD output in the subsequent detection of low-flux electrons. This effect is particularly prominent when the energy of the detected electrons is lower than that of the damaging electrons.more » By comparing the experimental data with results of a simulation based on an electron trapping model, we conclude that the degradation of the APD performance is attributable to an enhancement of secondary-electron trapping at irradiation induced defects.« less

Active Pixel Sensors: Are CCD's Dinosaurs?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, Eric R.

1993-01-01

Charge-coupled devices (CCD's) are presently the technology of choice for most imaging applications. In the 23 years since their invention in 1970, they have evolved to a sophisticated level of performance. However, as with all technologies, we can be certain that they will be supplanted someday. In this paper, the Active Pixel Sensor (APS) technology is explored as a possible successor to the CCD. An active pixel is defined as a detector array technology that has at least one active transistor within the pixel unit cell. The APS eliminates the need for nearly perfect charge transfer -- the Achilles' heel of CCDs. This perfect charge transfer makes CCD's radiation 'soft,' difficult to use under low light conditions, difficult to manufacture in large array sizes, difficult to integrate with on-chip electronics, difficult to use at low temperatures, difficult to use at high frame rates, and difficult to manufacture in non-silicon materials that extend wavelength response.

Fluorescence X-ray absorption spectroscopy using a Ge pixel array detector: application to high-temperature superconducting thin-film single crystals.

PubMed

Oyanagi, H; Tsukada, A; Naito, M; Saini, N L; Lampert, M O; Gutknecht, D; Dressler, P; Ogawa, S; Kasai, K; Mohamed, S; Fukano, A

2006-07-01

A Ge pixel array detector with 100 segments was applied to fluorescence X-ray absorption spectroscopy, probing the local structure of high-temperature superconducting thin-film single crystals (100 nm in thickness). Independent monitoring of pixel signals allows real-time inspection of artifacts owing to substrate diffractions. By optimizing the grazing-incidence angle theta and adjusting the azimuthal angle phi, smooth extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) oscillations were obtained for strained (La,Sr)2CuO4 thin-film single crystals grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The results of EXAFS data analysis show that the local structure (CuO6 octahedron) in (La,Sr)2CuO4 thin films grown on LaSrAlO4 and SrTiO3 substrates is uniaxially distorted changing the tetragonality by approximately 5 x 10(-3) in accordance with the crystallographic lattice mismatch. It is demonstrated that the local structure of thin-film single crystals can be probed with high accuracy at low temperature without interference from substrates.

Pitch dependence of the tolerance of CMOS monolithic active pixel sensors to non-ionizing radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doering, D.; Deveaux, M.; Domachowski, M.; Fröhlich, I.; Koziel, M.; Müntz, C.; Scharrer, P.; Stroth, J.

2013-12-01

CMOS monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) have demonstrated excellent performance as tracking detectors for charged particles. They provide an outstanding spatial resolution (a few μm), a detection efficiency of ≳ 99.9 %, very low material budget (0.05 %X0) and good radiation tolerance (≳ 1 Mrad, ≳1013neq /cm2) (Deveaux et al. [1]). This makes them an interesting technology for various applications in heavy ion and particle physics. Their tolerance to bulk damage was recently improved by using high-resistivity (∼ 1 kΩ cm) epitaxial layers as sensitive volume (Deveaux et al. [1], Dorokhov et al. [2]). The radiation tolerance of conventional MAPS is known to depend on the pixel pitch. This is as a higher pitch extends the distance, which signal electrons have to travel by thermal diffusion before being collected. Increased diffusion paths turn into a higher probability of loosing signal charge due to recombination. Provided that a similar effect exists in MAPS with high-resistivity epitaxial layer, it could be used to extend their radiation tolerance further. We addressed this question with MIMOSA-18AHR prototypes, which were provided by the IPHC Strasbourg and irradiated with reactor neutrons. We report about the results of this study and provide evidences that MAPS with 10 μm pixel pitch tolerate doses of ≳ 3 ×1014neq /cm2.

HST/WFC3 Characteristics: gain, post-flash stability, UVIS low-sensitivity pixels, persistence, IR flats and bad pixel table

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunning, Heather C.; Baggett, Sylvia; Gosmeyer, Catherine M.; Long, Knox S.; Ryan, Russell E.; MacKenty, John W.; Durbin, Meredith

2015-08-01

The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is a fourth-generation imaging instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Installed in May 2009, WFC3 is comprised of two observational channels covering wavelengths from UV/Visible (UVIS) to infrared (IR); both have been performing well on-orbit. We discuss the gain stability of both WFC3 channel detectors from ground testing through present day. For UVIS, we detail a low-sensitivity pixel population that evolves during the time between anneals, but is largely reset by the annealing procedure. We characterize the post-flash LED lamp stability, used and recommended to mitigate CTE effects for observations with less than 12e-/pixel backgrounds. We present mitigation options for IR persistence during and after observations. Finally, we give an overview on the construction of the IR flats and provide updates on the bad pixel table.

Fast Readout Architectures for Large Arrays of Digital Pixels: Examples and Applications

PubMed Central

Gabrielli, A.

2014-01-01

Modern pixel detectors, particularly those designed and constructed for applications and experiments for high-energy physics, are commonly built implementing general readout architectures, not specifically optimized in terms of speed. High-energy physics experiments use bidimensional matrices of sensitive elements located on a silicon die. Sensors are read out via other integrated circuits bump bonded over the sensor dies. The speed of the readout electronics can significantly increase the overall performance of the system, and so here novel forms of readout architectures are studied and described. These circuits have been investigated in terms of speed and are particularly suited for large monolithic, low-pitch pixel detectors. The idea is to have a small simple structure that may be expanded to fit large matrices without affecting the layout complexity of the chip, while maintaining a reasonably high readout speed. The solutions might be applied to devices for applications not only in physics but also to general-purpose pixel detectors whenever online fast data sparsification is required. The paper presents also simulations on the efficiencies of the systems as proof of concept for the proposed ideas. PMID:24778588

A 400 KHz line rate 2048-pixel stitched SWIR linear array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anchlia, Ankur; Vinella, Rosa M.; Gielen, Daphne; Wouters, Kristof; Vervenne, Vincent; Hooylaerts, Peter; Deroo, Pieter; Ruythooren, Wouter; De Gaspari, Danny; Das, Jo; Merken, Patrick

2016-05-01

Xenics has developed a family of stitched SWIR long linear arrays that operate up to 400 KHz of line rate. These arrays serve medical and industrial applications that require high line rates as well as space applications that require long linear arrays. The arrays are based on a modular ROIC design concept: modules of 512 pixels are stitched during fabrication to achieve 512, 1024 and 2048 pixel arrays. Each 512-pixel module has its own on-chip digital sequencer, analog readout chain and 4 output buffers. This modular concept enables a long array to run at a high line rates irrespective of the array length, which limits the line rate in a traditional linear array. The ROIC is flip-chipped with InGaAs detector arrays. The FPA has a pixel pitch of 12.5μm and has two pixel flavors: square (12.5μm) and rectangular (250μm). The frontend circuit is based on Capacitive Trans-impedance Amplifier (CTIA) to attain stable detector bias, and good linearity and signal integrity, especially at high speeds. The CTIA has an input auto-zero mechanism that allows to have low detector bias (<20mV). An on-chip Correlated Double Sample (CDS) facilitates removal of CTIA KTC and 1/f noise, and other offsets, achieving low noise performance. There are five gain modes in the FPA giving the full well range from 85Ke- to 40Me-. The measured input referred noise is 35e-rms in the highest gain mode. The FPA operates in Integrate While Read mode and, at a master clock rate of 60MHz and a minimum integration time of 1.4μs, achieves the highest line rate of 400 KHz. In this paper, design details and measurements results are presented in order to demonstrate the array performance.

Radiation damage in room-temperature data acquisition with the PILATUS 6M pixel detector.

PubMed

Rajendran, Chitra; Dworkowski, Florian S N; Wang, Meitian; Schulze-Briese, Clemens

2011-05-01

The first study of room-temperature macromolecular crystallography data acquisition with a silicon pixel detector is presented, where the data are collected in continuous sample rotation mode, with millisecond read-out time and no read-out noise. Several successive datasets were collected sequentially from single test crystals of thaumatin and insulin. The dose rate ranged between ∼ 1320 Gy s(-1) and ∼ 8420 Gy s(-1) with corresponding frame rates between 1.565 Hz and 12.5 Hz. The data were analysed for global radiation damage. A previously unreported negative dose-rate effect is observed in the indicators of global radiation damage, which showed an approximately 75% decrease in D(1/2) at sixfold higher dose rate. The integrated intensity decreases in an exponential manner. Sample heating that could give rise to the enhanced radiation sensitivity at higher dose rate is investigated by collecting data between crystal temperatures of 298 K and 353 K. UV-Vis spectroscopy is used to demonstrate that disulfide radicals and trapped electrons do not accumulate at high dose rates in continuous data collection.

Polarized-pixel performance model for DoFP polarimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Bin; Shi, Zelin; Liu, Haizheng; Liu, Li; Zhao, Yaohong; Zhang, Junchao

2018-06-01

A division of a focal plane (DoFP) polarimeter is manufactured by placing a micropolarizer array directly onto the focal plane array (FPA) of a detector. Each element of the DoFP polarimeter is a polarized pixel. This paper proposes a performance model for a polarized pixel. The proposed model characterizes the optical and electronic performance of a polarized pixel by three parameters. They are respectively major polarization responsivity, minor polarization responsivity and polarization orientation. Each parameter corresponds to an intuitive physical feature of a polarized pixel. This paper further extends this model to calibrate polarization images from a DoFP (division of focal plane) polarimeter. This calibration work is evaluated quantitatively by a developed DoFP polarimeter under varying illumination intensity and angle of linear polarization. The experiment proves that our model reduces nonuniformity to 6.79% of uncalibrated DoLP (degree of linear polarization) images, and significantly improves the visual effect of DoLP images.

WFC3 UVIS Detector Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunning, Heather C.; Baggett, Sylvia M.; Gosmeyer, Catherine; Bourque, Matthew; MacKenty, John W.; Anderson, Jay; WFC3 Team

2015-01-01

The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is a fourth-generation imaging instrument installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during Servicing Mission 4 (SM4) in May 2000. WFC3 has two observational channels, UV/visible (UVIS) and infrared (IR); both have been performing well on-orbit. Since installation, the WFC3 team has been diligent in monitoring the performance of both detectors. The UVIS channel consists of two e2v, backside illuminated, 2Kx4K CCDs arranged in a 2x1 mosaic. We present results from some of the monitoring programs used to check various aspects of the UVIS detector. We discuss the growth trend of hot pixels and the efficacy of regular anneals in controlling the hot pixel population. We detail a pixel population with lowered-sensitivity that evolves during the time between anneals, and is largely reset by each anneal procedure. We discuss the stability of the post-flash LED lamp, used and recommended for CTE mitigation in observations with less than 12 e-/pixel backgrounds. Finally, we summarize long-term photometric trends of the UVIS detector, as well as the absolute gain measurement, used as a proxy for the on-orbit evolution of the UVIS channel.

The Speedster-EXD- A New Event-Driven Hybrid CMOS X-ray Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffith, Christopher V.; Falcone, Abraham D.; Prieskorn, Zachary R.; Burrows, David N.

2016-01-01

The Speedster-EXD is a new 64×64 pixel, 40-μm pixel pitch, 100-μm depletion depth hybrid CMOS x-ray detector with the capability of reading out only those pixels containing event charge, thus enabling fast effective frame rates. A global charge threshold can be specified, and pixels containing charge above this threshold are flagged and read out. The Speedster detector has also been designed with other advanced in-pixel features to improve performance, including a low-noise, high-gain capacitive transimpedance amplifier that eliminates interpixel capacitance crosstalk (IPC), and in-pixel correlated double sampling subtraction to reduce reset noise. We measure the best energy resolution on the Speedster-EXD detector to be 206 eV (3.5%) at 5.89 keV and 172 eV (10.0%) at 1.49 keV. The average IPC to the four adjacent pixels is measured to be 0.25%±0.2% (i.e., consistent with zero). The pixel-to-pixel gain variation is measured to be 0.80%±0.03%, and a Monte Carlo simulation is applied to better characterize the contributions to the energy resolution.

A detector interferometric calibration experiment for high precision astrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouzier, A.; Malbet, F.; Henault, F.; Léger, A.; Cara, C.; LeDuigou, J. M.; Preis, O.; Kern, P.; Delboulbe, A.; Martin, G.; Feautrier, P.; Stadler, E.; Lafrasse, S.; Rochat, S.; Ketchazo, C.; Donati, M.; Doumayrou, E.; Lagage, P. O.; Shao, M.; Goullioud, R.; Nemati, B.; Zhai, C.; Behar, E.; Potin, S.; Saint-Pe, M.; Dupont, J.

2016-11-01

Context. Exoplanet science has made staggering progress in the last two decades, due to the relentless exploration of new detection methods and refinement of existing ones. Yet astrometry offers a unique and untapped potential of discovery of habitable-zone low-mass planets around all the solar-like stars of the solar neighborhood. To fulfill this goal, astrometry must be paired with high precision calibration of the detector. Aims: We present a way to calibrate a detector for high accuracy astrometry. An experimental testbed combining an astrometric simulator and an interferometric calibration system is used to validate both the hardware needed for the calibration and the signal processing methods. The objective is an accuracy of 5 × 10-6 pixel on the location of a Nyquist sampled polychromatic point spread function. Methods: The interferometric calibration system produced modulated Young fringes on the detector. The Young fringes were parametrized as products of time and space dependent functions, based on various pixel parameters. The minimization of function parameters was done iteratively, until convergence was obtained, revealing the pixel information needed for the calibration of astrometric measurements. Results: The calibration system yielded the pixel positions to an accuracy estimated at 4 × 10-4 pixel. After including the pixel position information, an astrometric accuracy of 6 × 10-5 pixel was obtained, for a PSF motion over more than five pixels. In the static mode (small jitter motion of less than 1 × 10-3 pixel), a photon noise limited precision of 3 × 10-5 pixel was reached.

High resolution, multiple-energy linear sweep detector for x-ray imaging

DOEpatents

Perez-Mendez, Victor; Goodman, Claude A.

1996-01-01

Apparatus for generating plural electrical signals in a single scan in response to incident X-rays received from an object. Each electrical signal represents an image of the object at a different range of energies of the incident X-rays. The apparatus comprises a first X-ray detector, a second X-ray detector stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector, and an X-ray absorber stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector. The X-ray absorber provides an energy-dependent absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the first X-ray detector, but provides no absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the second X-ray detector. The first X-ray detector includes a linear array of first pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a first range of energies. The first X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a first electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the first pixels. The second X-ray detector includes a linear array of second pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a second range of energies, broader than the first range of energies. The second X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a second electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the second pixels.

High resolution, multiple-energy linear sweep detector for x-ray imaging

DOEpatents

Perez-Mendez, V.; Goodman, C.A.

1996-08-20

Apparatus is disclosed for generating plural electrical signals in a single scan in response to incident X-rays received from an object. Each electrical signal represents an image of the object at a different range of energies of the incident X-rays. The apparatus comprises a first X-ray detector, a second X-ray detector stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector, and an X-ray absorber stacked upstream of the first X-ray detector. The X-ray absorber provides an energy-dependent absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the first X-ray detector, but provides no absorption of the incident X-rays before they are incident at the second X-ray detector. The first X-ray detector includes a linear array of first pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a first range of energies. The first X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a first electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the first pixels. The second X-ray detector includes a linear array of second pixels, each of which produces an electrical output in response to the incident X-rays in a second range of energies, broader than the first range of energies. The second X-ray detector also includes a circuit that generates a second electrical signal in response to the electrical output of each of the second pixels. 12 figs.

High-temperature long-lasting stability assessment of a single-crystal diamond detector under high-flux neutron irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilotti, R.; Angelone, M.; Marinelli, M.; Milani, E.; Verona-Rinati, G.; Verona, C.; Prestopino, G.; Montereali, R. M.; Vincenti, M. A.; Schooneveld, E. M.; Scherillo, A.; Pietropaolo, A.

2016-11-01

An innovative diamond detector layout is presented that is designed to operate at high temperature under intense neutron and gamma fluxes. It is made of a 500 μm “electronic grade” diamond film with 100 nm thick Ag metal contacts deposited onto each surface of the film by means of thermal evaporation. A 2 μ \\text{m} thick layer of 6LiF has been deposited on top of one of the two Ag contacts to make the detector sensitive to thermal neutrons. The device was tested at the ISIS spallation neutron source (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK) using the INES beam line. The detector was continuously irradiated for 100 hours in vacuum (p = 10-5 \\text{mbar}) , exposed to a neutron flux of about 106 n cm-2 s-1 at a temperature T =150 ^\\circ \\text{C} . The aim of this experiment was to study the time dependence of the diamond detector performance while operating at high temperature under irradiation, providing a first experimental proof of reliable continuous operation for 100 hours at high temperature in a harsh environment.

Recent X-ray hybrid CMOS detector developments and measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Samuel V.; Falcone, Abraham D.; Burrows, David N.; Wages, Mitchell; Chattopadhyay, Tanmoy; McQuaide, Maria; Bray, Evan; Kern, Matthew

2017-08-01

The Penn State X-ray detector lab, in collaboration with Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS), have progressed their efforts to improve soft X-ray Hybrid CMOS detector (HCD) technology on multiple fronts. Having newly acquired a Teledyne cryogenic SIDECARTM ASIC for use with HxRG devices, measurements were performed with an H2RG HCD and the cooled SIDECARTM. We report new energy resolution and read noise measurements, which show a significant improvement over room temperature SIDECARTM operation. Further, in order to meet the demands of future high-throughput and high spatial resolution X-ray observatories, detectors with fast readout and small pixel sizes are being developed. We report on characteristics of new X-ray HCDs with 12.5 micron pitch that include in-pixel CDS circuitry and crosstalk-eliminating CTIA amplifiers. In addition, PSU and TIS are developing a new large-scale array Speedster-EXD device. The original 64 × 64 pixel Speedster-EXD prototype used comparators in each pixel to enable event driven readout with order of magnitude higher effective readout rates, which will now be implemented in a 550 × 550 pixel device. Finally, the detector lab is involved in a sounding rocket mission that is slated to fly in 2018 with an off-plane reflection grating array and an H2RG X-ray HCD. We report on the planned detector configuration for this mission, which will increase the NASA technology readiness level of X-ray HCDs to TRL 9.

Distributed Antenna-Coupled TES for FIR Detectors Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Day, Peter K.; Leduc, Henry G.; Dowell, C. Darren; Lee, Richard A.; Zmuidzinas, Jonas

2007-01-01

We describe a new architecture for a superconducting detector for the submillimeter and far-infrared. This detector uses a distributed hot-electron transition edge sensor (TES) to collect the power from a focal-plane-filling slot antenna array. The sensors lay directly across the slots of the antenna and match the antenna impedance of about 30 ohms. Each pixel contains many sensors that are wired in parallel as a single distributed TES, which results in a low impedance that readily matches to a multiplexed SQUID readout These detectors are inherently polarization sensitive, with very low cross-polarization response, but can also be configured to sum both polarizations. The dual-polarization design can have a bandwidth of 50The use of electron-phonon decoupling eliminates the need for micro-machining, making the focal plane much easier to fabricate than with absorber-coupled, mechanically isolated pixels. We discuss applications of these detectors and a hybridization scheme compatible with arrays of tens of thousands of pixels.

The pixel tracking telescope at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility

DOE PAGES

Kwan, Simon; Lei, CM; Menasce, Dario; ...

2016-03-01

An all silicon pixel telescope has been assembled and used at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility (FTBF) since 2009 to provide precise tracking information for different test beam experiments with a wide range of Detectors Under Test (DUTs) requiring high resolution measurement of the track impact point. The telescope is based on CMS pixel modules left over from the CMS forward pixel production. Eight planes are arranged to achieve a resolution of less than 8 μm on the 120 GeV proton beam transverse coordinate at the DUT position. In order to achieve such resolution with 100 × 150 μm 2more » pixel cells, the planes were tilted to 25 degrees to maximize charge sharing between pixels. Crucial for obtaining this performance is the alignment software, called Monicelli, specifically designed and optimized for this system. This paper will describe the telescope hardware, the data acquisition system and the alignment software constituting this particle tracking system for test beam users.« less

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzyme and its facile multiplexing using an active pixel sensor UV detector.

PubMed

Urban, Pawel L; Goodall, David M; Bergström, Edmund T; Bruce, Neil C

2007-08-31

An electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) method has been developed for yeast alcohol dehydrogenase and quantification of reactant and product cofactors, NAD and NADH. The enzyme substrate ethanol (1% (v/v)) was added to the buffer (50 mM borate, pH 8.8). Results are presented for parallel capillary electrophoresis with a novel miniature UV area detector, with an active pixel sensor imaging an array of two or six parallel capillaries connected via a manifold to a single output capillary in a commercial CE instrument, allowing conversions with five different yeast alcohol dehydrogenase concentrations to be quantified in a single experiment.

First light from a very large area pixel array for high-throughput x-ray polarimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellazzini, R.; Spandre, G.; Minuti, M.; Baldini, L.; Brez, A.; Cavalca, F.; Latronico, L.; Omodei, N.; Massai, M. M.; Sgrò, C.; Costa, E.; Soffitta, P.; Krummenacher, F.; de Oliveira, R.

2006-06-01

We report on a large active area (15x15mm2), high channel density (470 pixels/mm2), self-triggering CMOS analog chip that we have developed as pixelized charge collecting electrode of a Micropattern Gas Detector. This device, which represents a big step forward both in terms of size and performance, is the last version of three generations of custom ASICs of increasing complexity. The CMOS pixel array has the top metal layer patterned in a matrix of 105600 hexagonal pixels at 50μm pitch. Each pixel is directly connected to the underneath full electronics chain which has been realized in the remaining five metal and single poly-silicon layers of a standard 0.18μm CMOS VLSI technology. The chip has customizable self-triggering capability and includes a signal pre-processing function for the automatic localization of the event coordinates. In this way it is possible to reduce significantly the readout time and the data volume by limiting the signal output only to those pixels belonging to the region of interest. The very small pixel area and the use of a deep sub-micron CMOS technology has brought the noise down to 50 electrons ENC. Results from in depth tests of this device when coupled to a fine pitch (50μm on a triangular pattern) Gas Electron Multiplier are presented. The matching of readout and gas amplification pitch allows getting optimal results. The application of this detector for Astronomical X-Ray Polarimetry is discussed. The experimental detector response to polarized and unpolarized X-ray radiation when working with two gas mixtures and two different photon energies is shown. Results from a full MonteCarlo simulation for several galactic and extragalactic astronomical sources are also reported.

CdZnTe Image Detectors for Hard-X-Ray Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, C. M. Hubert; Cook, Walter R.; Harrison, Fiona A.; Lin, Jiao Y. Y.; Mao, Peter H.; Schindler, Stephen M.

2005-01-01

Arrays of CdZnTe photodetectors and associated electronic circuitry have been built and tested in a continuing effort to develop focal-plane image sensor systems for hard-x-ray telescopes. Each array contains 24 by 44 pixels at a pitch of 498 m. The detector designs are optimized to obtain low power demand with high spectral resolution in the photon- energy range of 5 to 100 keV. More precisely, each detector array is a hybrid of a CdZnTe photodetector array and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) containing an array of amplifiers in the same pixel pattern as that of the detectors. The array is fabricated on a single crystal of CdZnTe having dimensions of 23.6 by 12.9 by 2 mm. The detector-array cathode is a monolithic platinum contact. On the anode plane, the contact metal is patterned into the aforementioned pixel array, surrounded by a guard ring that is 1 mm wide on three sides and is 0.1 mm wide on the fourth side so that two such detector arrays can be placed side-by-side to form a roughly square sensor area with minimal dead area between them. Figure 1 shows two anode patterns. One pattern features larger pixel anode contacts, with a 30-m gap between them. The other pattern features smaller pixel anode contacts plus a contact for a shaping electrode in the form of a grid that separates all the pixels. In operation, the grid is held at a potential intermediate between the cathode and anode potentials to steer electric charges toward the anode in order to reduce the loss of charges in the inter-anode gaps. The CdZnTe photodetector array is mechanically and electrically connected to the ASIC (see Figure 2), either by use of indium bump bonds or by use of conductive epoxy bumps on the CdZnTe array joined to gold bumps on the ASIC. Hence, the output of each pixel detector is fed to its own amplifier chain.

High-voltage pixel sensors for ATLAS upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perić, I.; Kreidl, C.; Fischer, P.; Bompard, F.; Breugnon, P.; Clemens, J.-C.; Fougeron, D.; Liu, J.; Pangaud, P.; Rozanov, A.; Barbero, M.; Feigl, S.; Capeans, M.; Ferrere, D.; Pernegger, H.; Ristic, B.; Muenstermann, D.; Gonzalez Sevilla, S.; La Rosa, A.; Miucci, A.; Nessi, M.; Iacobucci, G.; Backhaus, M.; Hügging, Fabian; Krüger, H.; Hemperek, T.; Obermann, T.; Wermes, N.; Garcia-Sciveres, M.; Quadt, A.; Weingarten, J.; George, M.; Grosse-Knetter, J.; Rieger, J.; Bates, R.; Blue, A.; Buttar, C.; Hynds, D.

2014-11-01

The high-voltage (HV-) CMOS pixel sensors offer several good properties: a fast charge collection by drift, the possibility to implement relatively complex CMOS in-pixel electronics and the compatibility with commercial processes. The sensor element is a deep n-well diode in a p-type substrate. The n-well contains CMOS pixel electronics. The main charge collection mechanism is drift in a shallow, high field region, which leads to a fast charge collection and a high radiation tolerance. We are currently evaluating the use of the high-voltage detectors implemented in 180 nm HV-CMOS technology for the high-luminosity ATLAS upgrade. Our approach is replacing the existing pixel and strip sensors with the CMOS sensors while keeping the presently used readout ASICs. By intelligence we mean the ability of the sensor to recognize a particle hit and generate the address information. In this way we could benefit from the advantages of the HV sensor technology such as lower cost, lower mass, lower operating voltage, smaller pitch, smaller clusters at high incidence angles. Additionally we expect to achieve a radiation hardness necessary for ATLAS upgrade. In order to test the concept, we have designed two HV-CMOS prototypes that can be readout in two ways: using pixel and strip readout chips. In the case of the pixel readout, the connection between HV-CMOS sensor and the readout ASIC can be established capacitively.

Measurement and analysis of the conversion gain degradation of the CIS detectors in harsh radiation environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zujun; Xue, Yuanyuan; Guo, Xiaoqiang; Bian, Jingying; Yao, Zhibin; He, Baoping; Ma, Wuying; Sheng, Jiangkun; Dong, Guantao; Liu, Yan

2018-07-01

The conversion gain of the CMOS image sensor (CIS) is one of the most important key parameters to the CIS detector. The conversion gain degradation induced by radiation damage will seriously affect the performances of the CIS detector. The experiments of the CISs irradiated by protons, neutrons, and gamma rays are presented. The CISs have 4 Megapixels and pinned photodiode (PPD) pixel architecture with a standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The conversion gains versus the proton fluence (including the proton ionizing dose), neutron fluence and gamma total ionizing dose are presented, respectively. The mechanisms of the conversion gain degradation induced by radiation damage are analyzed in details. The investigations will help to improve the PPD CIS detector design, reliability and applicability for applications in the harsh radiation environments such as space and nuclear environments.

Note: application of a pixel-array area detector to simultaneous single crystal X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements.

PubMed

Sun, Cheng-Jun; Zhang, Bangmin; Brewe, Dale L; Chen, Jing-Sheng; Chow, G M; Venkatesan, T; Heald, Steve M

2014-04-01

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) are two main x-ray techniques in synchrotron radiation facilities. In this Note, we present an experimental setup capable of performing simultaneous XRD and XAS measurements by the application of a pixel-array area detector. For XRD, the momentum transfer in specular diffraction was measured by scanning the X-ray energy with fixed incoming and outgoing x-ray angles. By selecting a small fixed region of the detector to collect the XRD signal, the rest of the area was available for collecting the x-ray fluorescence for XAS measurements. The simultaneous measurement of XRD and X-ray absorption near edge structure for Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 film was demonstrated as a proof of principle for future time-resolved pump-probe measurements. A static sample makes it easy to maintain an accurate overlap of the X-ray spot and laser pump beam.

Stability of the Helical TomoTherapy Hi·Art II detector for treatment beam irradiations

PubMed Central

Schombourg, Karin; Bochud, François

2014-01-01

The Hi·Art II Helical TomoTherapy (HT) unit is equipped with a built‐in onboard MVCT detector used for patient imaging and beam monitoring. Our aim was to study the detector stability for treatment beam measurements. We studied the MVCT detector response with the 6 MV photon beam over time, throughout short‐term (during an irradiation) and long‐term (two times 50 days) periods. Our results show a coefficient of variation ≤1% for detector chambers inside the beam (excluding beam gradients) for short‐ and long‐term response of the MVCT detector. Larger variations were observed in beam gradients and an influence of the X‐ray target where degradation was found. The results assume that an ‘air scan’ procedure is performed daily to recalibrate the detector with the imaging beam. On short term, the detector response stability is comparable to other devices. Long‐term measurements during two 50‐day periods show a good reproducibility. PACS numbers: 87.55.ne, 87.55.Qr PMID:25493514

Study of a GaAs:Cr-based Timepix detector using synchrotron facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolyanskiy, P.; Kozhevnikov, D.; Bakina, O.; Chelkov, G.; Dedovich, D.; Kuper, K.; Leyva Fabelo, A.; Zhemchugov, A.

2017-11-01

High resistivity gallium arsenide compensated by chromium fabricated by Tomsk State University has demonstrated a good suitability as a sensor material for hybrid pixel detectors used in X-ray imaging systems with photon energies up to 60 keV. The material is available with a thickness up to 1 mm and due to its Z number a high absorption efficiency in this energy region is provided. However, the performance of thick GaAs:Cr-based detectors in spectroscopic applications is limited by readout electronics with relatively small pixels due to the charge sharing effect. In this paper, we present the experimental investigation of the charge sharing effect contribution in the GaAs:Cr-based Timepix detector. By means of scanning the detector with a pencil photon beam generated by the synchrotron facility, the geometrical mapping of pixel sensitivity is obtained, as well as the energy resolution of a single pixel. The experimental results are supported by numerical simulations. The observed limitation of the GaAs:Cr-based Timepix detector for the high flux X-ray imaging is discussed.

Photon small-field measurements with a CMOS active pixel sensor.

PubMed

Spang, F Jiménez; Rosenberg, I; Hedin, E; Royle, G

2015-06-07

In this work the dosimetric performance of CMOS active pixel sensors for the measurement of small photon beams is presented. The detector used consisted of an array of 520  × 520 pixels on a 25 µm pitch. Dosimetric parameters measured with this sensor were compared with data collected with an ionization chamber, a film detector and GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations. The sensor performance for beam profiles measurements was evaluated for field sizes of 0.5  × 0.5 cm(2). The high spatial resolution achieved with this sensor allowed the accurate measurement of profiles, beam penumbrae and field size under lateral electronic disequilibrium. Field size and penumbrae agreed within 5.4% and 2.2% respectively with film measurements. Agreements with ionization chambers better than 1.0% were obtained when measuring tissue-phantom ratios. Output factor measurements were in good agreement with ionization chamber and Monte Carlo simulation. The data obtained from this imaging sensor can be easily analyzed to extract dosimetric information. The results presented in this work are promising for the development and implementation of CMOS active pixel sensors for dosimetry applications.

Energy-correction photon counting pixel for photon energy extraction under pulse pile-up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Daehee; Park, Kyungjin; Lim, Kyung Taek; Cho, Gyuseong

2017-06-01

A photon counting detector (PCD) has been proposed as an alternative solution to an energy-integrating detector (EID) in medical imaging field due to its high resolution, high efficiency, and low noise. The PCD has expanded to variety of fields such as spectral CT, k-edge imaging, and material decomposition owing to its capability to count and measure the number and the energy of an incident photon, respectively. Nonetheless, pulse pile-up, which is a superimposition of pulses at the output of a charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) in each PC pixel, occurs frequently as the X-ray flux increases due to the finite pulse processing time (PPT) in CSAs. Pulse pile-up induces not only a count loss but also distortion in the measured X-ray spectrum from each PC pixel and thus it is a main constraint on the use of PCDs in high flux X-ray applications. To minimize these effects, an energy-correction PC (ECPC) pixel is proposed to resolve pulse pile-up without cutting off the PPT by adding an energy correction logic (ECL) via a cross detection method (CDM). The ECPC pixel with a size of 200×200 μm2 was fabricated by using a 6-metal 1-poly 0.18 μm CMOS process with a static power consumption of 7.2 μW/pixel. The maximum count rate of the ECPC pixel was extended by approximately three times higher than that of a conventional PC pixel with a PPT of 500 nsec. The X-ray spectrum of 90 kVp, filtered by 3 mm Al filter, was measured as the X-ray current was increased using the CdTe and the ECPC pixel. As a result, the ECPC pixel dramatically reduced the energy spectrum distortion at 2 Mphotons/pixel/s when compared to that of the ERCP pixel with the same 500 nsec PPT.

Novel high-resolution VGA QWIP detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataria, H.; Asplund, C.; Lindberg, A.; Smuk, S.; Alverbro, J.; Evans, D.; Sehlin, S.; Becanovic, S.; Tinghag, P.; Höglund, L.; Sjöström, F.; Costard, E.

2017-02-01

Continuing with its legacy of producing high performance infrared detectors, IRnova introduces its high resolution LWIR IDDCA (Integrated Detector Dewar Cooler assembly) based on QWIP (quantum well infrared photodetector) technology. The Focal Plane Array (FPA) has 640×512 pixels, with small (15μm) pixel pitch, and is based on the FLIRIndigo ISC0403 Readout Integrated Circuit (ROIC). The QWIP epitaxial structures are grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) at IRnova. Detector stability and response uniformity inherent to III/V based material will be demonstrated in terms of high performing detectors. Results showing low NETD at high frame rate will be presented. This makes it one of the first 15μm pitch QWIP based LWIR IDDCA commercially available on the market. High operability and stability of our other QWIP based products will also be shared.

Microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging with a Timepix detector.

PubMed

Kiss, Andras; Jungmann, Julia H; Smith, Donald F; Heeren, Ron M A

2013-01-01

In-vacuum active pixel detectors enable high sensitivity, highly parallel time- and space-resolved detection of ions from complex surfaces. For the first time, a Timepix detector assembly was combined with a secondary ion mass spectrometer for microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging. Time resolved images from various benchmark samples demonstrate the imaging capabilities of the detector system. The main advantages of the active pixel detector are the higher signal-to-noise ratio and parallel acquisition of arrival time and position. Microscope mode SIMS imaging of biomolecules is demonstrated from tissue sections with the Timepix detector.

Ground calibration of the spatial response and quantum efficiency of the CdZnTe hard x-ray detectors for NuSTAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grefenstette, Brian W.; Bhalerao, Varun; Cook, W. Rick; Harrison, Fiona A.; Kitaguchi, Takao; Madsen, Kristin K.; Mao, Peter H.; Miyasaka, Hiromasa; Rana, Vikram

2017-08-01

Pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors are currently flying on the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray (NuSTAR) NASA Astrophysics Small Explorer. While the pixel pitch of the detectors is ≍ 605 μm, we can leverage the detector readout architecture to determine the interaction location of an individual photon to much higher spatial accuracy. The sub-pixel spatial location allows us to finely oversample the point spread function of the optics and reduces imaging artifacts due to pixelation. In this paper we demonstrate how the sub-pixel information is obtained, how the detectors were calibrated, and provide ground verification of the quantum efficiency of our Monte Carlo model of the detector response.

Fast Imaging Detector Readout Circuits with In-Pixel ADCs for Fourier Transform Imaging Spectrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rider, D.; Blavier, J-F.; Cunningham, T.; Hancock, B.; Key, R.; Pannell, Z.; Sander, S.; Seshadri, S.; Sun, C.; Wrigley, C.

2011-01-01

Focal plane arrays (FPAs) with high frame rates and many pixels benefit several upcoming Earth science missions including GEO-CAPE, GACM, and ACE by enabling broader spatial coverage and higher spectral resolution. FPAs for the PanFTS, a high spatial resolution Fourier transform spectrometer and a candidate instrument for the GEO-CAPE mission are the focus of the developments reported here, but this FPA technology has the potential to enable a variety of future measurements and instruments. The ESTO ACT Program funded the developed of a fast readout integrated circuit (ROIC) based on an innovative in-pixel analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The 128 X 128 pixel ROIC features 60 ?m pixels, a 14-bit ADC in each pixel and operates at a continuous frame rate of 14 kHz consuming only 1.1 W of power. The ROIC outputs digitized data completely eliminating the bulky, power consuming signal chains needed by conventional FPAs. The 128 X 128 pixel ROIC has been fabricated in CMOS and tested at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The current version is designed to be hybridized with PIN photodiode arrays via indium bump bonding for light detection in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions. However, the ROIC design incorporates a small photodiode in each cell to permit detailed characterization of the ROICperformance without the need for hybridization. We will describe the essential features of the ROIC design and present results of ROIC performance measurements.

ALPIDE: the Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor for the ALICE ITS upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šuljić, M.

2016-11-01

The upgrade of the ALICE vertex detector, the Inner Tracking System (ITS), is scheduled to be installed during the next long shutdown period (2019-2020) of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) . The current ITS will be replaced by seven concentric layers of Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) with total active surface of ~10 m2, thus making ALICE the first LHC experiment implementing MAPS detector technology on a large scale. The ALPIDE chip, based on TowerJazz 180 nm CMOS Imaging Process, is being developed for this purpose. A particular process feature, the deep p-well, is exploited so the full CMOS logic can be implemented over the active sensor area without impinging on the deposited charge collection. ALPIDE is implemented on silicon wafers with a high resistivity epitaxial layer. A single chip measures 15 mm by 30 mm and contains half a million pixels distributed in 512 rows and 1024 columns. In-pixel circuitry features amplification, shaping, discrimination and multi-event buffering. The readout is hit driven i.e. only addresses of hit pixels are sent to the periphery. The upgrade of the ITS presents two different sets of requirements for sensors of the inner and of the outer layers due to the significantly different track density, radiation level and active detector surface. The ALPIDE chip fulfils the stringent requirements in both cases. The detection efficiency is higher than 99%, fake-hit probability is orders of magnitude lower than the required 10-6 and spatial resolution within the required 5 μm. This performance is to be maintained even after a total ionising does (TID) of 2.7 Mrad and a non-ionising energy loss (NIEL) fluence of 1.7 × 1013 1 MeV neq/cm2, which is above what is expected during the detector lifetime. Readout rate of 100 kHz is provided and the power density of ALPIDE is less than 40 mW/cm2. This contribution will provide a summary of the ALPIDE features and main test results.

Design of the low area monotonic trim DAC in 40 nm CMOS technology for pixel readout chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drozd, A.; Szczygiel, R.; Maj, P.; Satlawa, T.; Grybos, P.

2014-12-01

The recent research in hybrid pixel detectors working in single photon counting mode focuses on nanometer or 3D technologies which allow making pixels smaller and implementing more complex solutions in each of the pixels. Usually single pixel in readout electronics for X-ray detection comprises of charge amplifier, shaper and discriminator that allow classification of events occurring at the detector as true or false hits by comparing amplitude of the signal obtained with threshold voltage, which minimizes the influence of noise effects. However, making the pixel size smaller often causes problems with pixel to pixel uniformity and additional effects like charge sharing become more visible. To improve channel-to-channel uniformity or implement an algorithm for charge sharing effect minimization, small area trimming DACs working in each pixel independently are necessary. However, meeting the requirement of small area often results in poor linearity and even non-monotonicity. In this paper we present a novel low-area thermometer coded 6-bit DAC implemented in 40 nm CMOS technology. Monte Carlo simulations were performed on the described design proving that under all conditions designed DAC is inherently monotonic. Presented DAC was implemented in the prototype readout chip with 432 pixels working in single photon counting mode, with two trimming DACs in each pixel. Each DAC occupies the area of 8 μm × 18.5 μm. Measurements and chips' tests were performed to obtain reliable statistical results.

Performance overview of the Euclid infrared focal plane detector subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waczynski, A.; Barbier, R.; Cagiano, S.; Chen, J.; Cheung, S.; Cho, H.; Cillis, A.; Clémens, J.-C.; Dawson, O.; Delo, G.; Farris, M.; Feizi, A.; Foltz, R.; Hickey, M.; Holmes, W.; Hwang, T.; Israelsson, U.; Jhabvala, M.; Kahle, D.; Kan, Em.; Kan, Er.; Loose, M.; Lotkin, G.; Miko, L.; Nguyen, L.; Piquette, E.; Powers, T.; Pravdo, S.; Runkle, A.; Seiffert, M.; Strada, P.; Tucker, C.; Turck, K.; Wang, F.; Weber, C.; Williams, J.

2016-07-01

In support of the European space agency (ESA) Euclid mission, NASA is responsible for the evaluation of the H2RG mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detectors and electronics assemblies fabricated by Teledyne imaging systems. The detector evaluation is performed in the detector characterization laboratory (DCL) at the NASA Goddard space flight center (GSFC) in close collaboration with engineers and scientists from the jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) and the Euclid project. The Euclid near infrared spectrometer and imaging photometer (NISP) will perform large area optical and spectroscopic sky surveys in the 0.9-2.02 μm infrared (IR) region. The NISP instrument will contain sixteen detector arrays each coupled to a Teledyne SIDECAR application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The focal plane will operate at 100K and the SIDECAR ASIC will be in close proximity operating at a slightly higher temperature of 137K. This paper will describe the test configuration, performance tests and results of the latest engineering run, also known as pilot run 3 (PR3), consisting of four H2RG detectors operating simultaneously. Performance data will be presented on; noise, spectral quantum efficiency, dark current, persistence, pixel yield, pixel to pixel uniformity, linearity, inter pixel crosstalk, full well and dynamic range, power dissipation, thermal response and unit cell input sensitivity.

Experience from the construction and operation of the STAR PXL detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greiner, L.; Anderssen, E. C.; Contin, G.; Schambach, J.; Silber, J.; Stezelberger, T.; Sun, X.; Szelezniak, M.; Vu, C.; Wieman, H. H.; Woodmansee, S.

2015-04-01

A new silicon based vertex detector called the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) was installed at the Soleniodal Tracker At RHIC (STAR) experiment for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) 2014 heavy ion run to improve the vertex resolution and extend the measurement capabilities of STAR in the heavy flavor domain. The HFT consists of four concentric cylinders around the STAR interaction point composed of three different silicon detector technologies based on strips, pads and for the first time in an accelerator experiment CMOS monolithic active pixels (MAPS) . The two innermost layers at a radius of 2.8 cm and 8 cm from the beam line are constructed with 400 high resolution MAPS sensors arranged in 10-sensor ladders mounted on 10 thin carbon fiber sectors giving a total silicon area of 0.16 m2. Each sensor consists of a pixel array of nearly 1 million pixels with a pitch of 20.7 μm with column-level discriminators, zero-suppression circuitry and output buffer memory integrated into one silicon die with a sensitive area of ~ 3.8 cm2. The pixel (PXL) detector has a low power dissipation of 170 mW/cm2, which allows air cooling. This results in a global material budget of 0.5% radiation length per layer for detector used in this run. A novel mechanical approach to detector insertion allows for the installation and integration of the pixel sub detector within a 12 hour period during an on-going STAR run. The detector specifications, experience from the construction and operation, lessons learned and initial measurements of the PXL performance in the 200 GeV Au-Au run will be presented.

Spectral correction algorithm for multispectral CdTe x-ray detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Erik D.; Kehres, Jan; Gu, Yun; Feidenhans'l, Robert; Olsen, Ulrik L.

2017-09-01

Compared to the dual energy scintillator detectors widely used today, pixelated multispectral X-ray detectors show the potential to improve material identification in various radiography and tomography applications used for industrial and security purposes. However, detector effects, such as charge sharing and photon pileup, distort the measured spectra in high flux pixelated multispectral detectors. These effects significantly reduce the detectors' capabilities to be used for material identification, which requires accurate spectral measurements. We have developed a semi analytical computational algorithm for multispectral CdTe X-ray detectors which corrects the measured spectra for severe spectral distortions caused by the detector. The algorithm is developed for the Multix ME100 CdTe X-ray detector, but could potentially be adapted for any pixelated multispectral CdTe detector. The calibration of the algorithm is based on simple attenuation measurements of commercially available materials using standard laboratory sources, making the algorithm applicable in any X-ray setup. The validation of the algorithm has been done using experimental data acquired with both standard lab equipment and synchrotron radiation. The experiments show that the algorithm is fast, reliable even at X-ray flux up to 5 Mph/s/mm2, and greatly improves the accuracy of the measured X-ray spectra, making the algorithm very useful for both security and industrial applications where multispectral detectors are used.

Interior micro-CT with an offset detector

PubMed Central

Sharma, Kriti Sen; Gong, Hao; Ghasemalizadeh, Omid; Yu, Hengyong; Wang, Ge; Cao, Guohua

2014-01-01

Purpose: The size of field-of-view (FOV) of a microcomputed tomography (CT) system can be increased by offsetting the detector. The increased FOV is beneficial in many applications. All prior investigations, however, have been focused to the case in which the increased FOV after offset-detector acquisition can cover the transaxial extent of an object fully. Here, the authors studied a new problem where the FOV of a micro-CT system, although increased after offset-detector acquisition, still covers an interior region-of-interest (ROI) within the object. Methods: An interior-ROI-oriented micro-CT scan with an offset detector poses a difficult reconstruction problem, which is caused by both detector offset and projection truncation. Using the projection completion techniques, the authors first extended three previous reconstruction methods from offset-detector micro-CT to offset-detector interior micro-CT. The authors then proposed a novel method which combines two of the extended methods using a frequency split technique. The authors tested the four methods with phantom simulations at 9.4%, 18.8%, 28.2%, and 37.6% detector offset. The authors also applied these methods to physical phantom datasets acquired at the same amounts of detector offset from a customized micro-CT system. Results: When the detector offset was small, all reconstruction methods showed good image quality. At large detector offset, the three extended methods gave either visible shading artifacts or high deviation of pixel value, while the authors’ proposed method demonstrated no visible artifacts and minimal deviation of pixel value in both the numerical simulations and physical experiments. Conclusions: For an interior micro-CT with an offset detector, the three extended reconstruction methods can perform well at a small detector offset but show strong artifacts at a large detector offset. When the detector offset is large, the authors’ proposed reconstruction method can outperform the three

Preliminary test results from a telescope of Hughes pixel arrays at FNAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jernigan, J.G.; Arens, J.; Vezie, D.

1992-09-01

In December of 1991 three silicon hybrid pixel detectors each having 2.56 [times] 2.56 pixels 30 [mu]m square, made by the Hughes Aircraft Company, were placed in a high energy muon beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Straight tracks were recorded in these detectors at angles to the normal to the plane of the silicon ranging from 0 to 45[degrees]. In this note, preliminary results are presented on the straight through tracks, i.e., those passing through the telescope at normal incidence. Pulse height data, signal-to-noise data, and preliminary straight line fits to the data resulting in residual distributions aremore » presented. Preliminary calculations show spatial resolution of less than 5 [mu]m in two dimensions.« less

Preliminary test results from a telescope of Hughes pixel arrays at FNAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jernigan, J.G.; Arens, J.; Vezie, D.

1992-09-01

In December of 1991 three silicon hybrid pixel detectors each having 2.56 {times} 2.56 pixels 30 {mu}m square, made by the Hughes Aircraft Company, were placed in a high energy muon beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Straight tracks were recorded in these detectors at angles to the normal to the plane of the silicon ranging from 0 to 45{degrees}. In this note, preliminary results are presented on the straight through tracks, i.e., those passing through the telescope at normal incidence. Pulse height data, signal-to-noise data, and preliminary straight line fits to the data resulting in residual distributions aremore » presented. Preliminary calculations show spatial resolution of less than 5 {mu}m in two dimensions.« less

Irradiation of 4H-SiC UV detectors with heavy ions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalinina, E. V., E-mail: evk@mail.ioffe.ru; Lebedev, A. A.; Bogdanova, E.

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors based on Schottky barriers to 4H-SiC are formed on lightly doped n-type epitaxial layers grown by the chemical vapor deposition method on commercial substrates. The diode structures are irradiated at 25°C by 167-MeV Xe ions with a mass of 131 amu at a fluence of 6 × 10{sup 9} cm{sup −2}. Comparative studies of the optical and electrical properties of as-grown and irradiated structures with Schottky barriers are carried out in the temperature range 23–180°C. The specific features of changes in the photosensitivity and electrical characteristics of the detector structures are accounted for by the capture ofmore » photogenerated carriers into traps formed due to fluctuations of the conduction-band bottom and valence-band top, with subsequent thermal dissociation.« less

A method of object recognition for single pixel imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Boxuan; Zhang, Wenwen

2018-01-01

Computational ghost imaging(CGI), utilizing a single-pixel detector, has been extensively used in many fields. However, in order to achieve a high-quality reconstructed image, a large number of iterations are needed, which limits the flexibility of using CGI in practical situations, especially in the field of object recognition. In this paper, we purpose a method utilizing the feature matching to identify the number objects. In the given system, approximately 90% of accuracy of recognition rates can be achieved, which provides a new idea for the application of single pixel imaging in the field of object recognition

Development of radiation tolerant monolithic active pixel sensors with fast column parallel read-out

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koziel, M.; Dorokhov, A.; Fontaine, J.-C.; De Masi, R.; Winter, M.

2010-12-01

Monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) [1] (Turchetta et al., 2001) are being developed at IPHC—Strasbourg to equip the EUDET telescope [2] (Haas, 2006) and vertex detectors for future high energy physics experiments, including the STAR upgrade at RHIC [3] (T.S. Collaboration, 2005) and the CBM experiment at FAIR/GSI [4] (Heuser, 2006). High granularity, low material budget and high read-out speed are systematically required for most applications, complemented, for some of them, with high radiation tolerance. A specific column-parallel architecture, implemented in the MIMOSA-22 sensor, was developed to achieve fast read-out MAPS. Previous studies of the front-end architecture integrated in this sensor, which includes in-pixel amplification, have shown that the fixed pattern noise increase consecutive to ionizing radiation can be controlled by means of a negative feedback [5] (Hu-Guo et al., 2008). However, an unexpected rise of the temporal noise was observed. A second version of this chip (MIMOSA-22bis) was produced in order to search for possible improvements of the radiation tolerance, regarding this type of noise. In this prototype, the feedback transistor was tuned in order to mitigate the sensitivity of the pixel to ionizing radiation. The performances of the pixels after irradiation were investigated for two types of feedback transistors: enclosed layout transistor (ELT) [6] (Snoeys et al., 2000) and "standard" transistor with either large or small transconductance. The noise performance of all test structures was studied in various conditions (expected in future experiments) regarding temperature, integration time and ionizing radiation dose. Test results are presented in this paper. Based on these observations, ideas for further improvement of the radiation tolerance of column parallel MAPS are derived.

Photovoltaic Retinal Prosthesis with High Pixel Density

PubMed Central

Mathieson, Keith; Loudin, James; Goetz, Georges; Huie, Philip; Wang, Lele; Kamins, Theodore I.; Galambos, Ludwig; Smith, Richard; Harris, James S.; Sher, Alexander; Palanker, Daniel

2012-01-01

Retinal degenerative diseases lead to blindness due to loss of the “image capturing” photoreceptors, while neurons in the “image processing” inner retinal layers are relatively well preserved. Electronic retinal prostheses seek to restore sight by electrically stimulating surviving neurons. Most implants are powered through inductive coils, requiring complex surgical methods to implant the coil-decoder-cable-array systems, which deliver energy to stimulating electrodes via intraocular cables. We present a photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis, in which silicon photodiodes in each pixel receive power and data directly through pulsed near-infrared illumination and electrically stimulate neurons. Stimulation was produced in normal and degenerate rat retinas, with pulse durations from 0.5 to 4 ms, and threshold peak irradiances from 0.2 to 10 mW/mm2, two orders of magnitude below the ocular safety limit. Neural responses were elicited by illuminating a single 70 μm bipolar pixel, demonstrating the possibility of a fully-integrated photovoltaic retinal prosthesis with high pixel density. PMID:23049619

Detector Having A Transmission Grating Beam Splitter For Multi-Wavelength.

DOEpatents

Liu, Changsheng; Li, Qingbo (State College, PA

1999-12-07

A detector for DNA sample identification is provided with a transmission grating beam splitter (TGBS). The TGBS split fluoresced light from a tagged DNA sample into 0th order and a 1st order components, both of which are detected on a two-dimensional detector array of a CCD camera. The 0th and 1st order components are detected along a column of pixels in the detector array, and are spaced apart from one another. The DNA samples are tagged with four fluorescent dyes, one dye specific for each nucleotide, and all four dyes responding in slightly different manner to the same monochromatic excitation signal. The TGBS splits fluoresced incoming light into 0th and 1st order components, which are then spread out among a number of pixels in the detector array. The 1st component of this light is received by pixels whose position relative to the 0th order component depends on the frequency of fluorescence. Thus, the position at which signal energy is detected on the array is indicative of the particular dye, and therefore, the corresponding nucleotide tagged by that dye. Monitoring signal energy at the 0th order pixel and selected 1st order pixels, provides a set of data from which one may then identify the particular nucleotide.

Predicted performance of a PG-SPECT system using CZT primary detectors and secondary Compton-suppression anti-coincidence detectors under near-clinical settings for boron neutron capture therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hales, Brian; Katabuchi, Tatsuya; Igashira, Masayuki; Terada, Kazushi; Hayashizaki, Noriyosu; Kobayashi, Tooru

2017-12-01

A test version of a prompt-gamma single photon emission computed tomography (PG-SPECT) system for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) using a CdZnTe (CZT) semiconductor detector with a secondary BGO anti-Compton suppression detector has been designed. A phantom with healthy tissue region of pure water, and 2 tumor regions of 5 wt% borated polyethylene was irradiated to a fluence of 1.3 × 109 n/cm2. The number of 478 keV foreground, background, and net counts were measured for each detector position and angle. Using only experimentally measured net counts, an image of the 478 keV production from the 10B(n , α) 7Li* reaction was reconstructed. Using Monte Carlo simulation and the experimentally measured background counts, the reliability of the system under clinically accurate parameters was extrapolated. After extrapolation, it was found that the value of the maximum-value pixel in the reconstructed 478 keV γ-ray production image overestimates the simulated production by an average of 9.2%, and that the standard deviation associated with the same value is 11.4%.

Verification of intensity modulated profiles using a pixel segmented liquid-filled linear array.

PubMed

Pardo, J; Roselló, J V; Sánchez-Doblado, F; Gómez, F

2006-06-07

A liquid isooctane (C8H18) filled ionization chamber linear array developed for radiotherapy quality assurance, consisting of 128 pixels (each of them with a 1.7 mm pitch), has been used to acquire profiles of several intensity modulated fields. The results were compared with film measurements using the gamma test. The comparisons show a very good matching, even in high gradient dose regions. The volume-averaging effect of the pixels is negligible and the spatial resolution is enough to verify these regions. However, some mismatches between the detectors have been found in regions where low-energy scattered photons significantly contribute to the total dose. These differences are not very important (in fact, the measurements of both detectors are in agreement using the gamma test with tolerances of 3% and 3 mm in most of those regions), and may be associated with the film energy dependence. In addition, the linear array repeatability (0.27% one standard deviation) is much better than the film one ( approximately 3%). The good repeatability, small pixel size and high spatial resolution make the detector ideal for the real time profile verification of high gradient beam profiles like those present in intensity modulated radiation therapy and radiosurgery.

Photon Counting Energy Dispersive Detector Arrays for X-ray Imaging

PubMed Central

Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Nygård, Einar; Meirav, Oded; Arenson, Jerry; Barber, William C.; Hartsough, Neal E.; Malakhov, Nail; Wessel, Jan C.

2009-01-01

The development of an innovative detector technology for photon-counting in X-ray imaging is reported. This new generation of detectors, based on pixellated cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector arrays electrically connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for readout, will produce fast and highly efficient photon-counting and energy-dispersive X-ray imaging. There are a number of applications that can greatly benefit from these novel imagers including mammography, planar radiography, and computed tomography (CT). Systems based on this new detector technology can provide compositional analysis of tissue through spectroscopic X-ray imaging, significantly improve overall image quality, and may significantly reduce X-ray dose to the patient. A very high X-ray flux is utilized in many of these applications. For example, CT scanners can produce ~100 Mphotons/mm2/s in the unattenuated beam. High flux is required in order to collect sufficient photon statistics in the measurement of the transmitted flux (attenuated beam) during the very short time frame of a CT scan. This high count rate combined with a need for high detection efficiency requires the development of detector structures that can provide a response signal much faster than the transit time of carriers over the whole detector thickness. We have developed CdTe and CZT detector array structures which are 3 mm thick with 16×16 pixels and a 1 mm pixel pitch. These structures, in the two different implementations presented here, utilize either a small pixel effect or a drift phenomenon. An energy resolution of 4.75% at 122 keV has been obtained with a 30 ns peaking time using discrete electronics and a 57Co source. An output rate of 6×106 counts per second per individual pixel has been obtained with our ASIC readout electronics and a clinical CT X-ray tube. Additionally, the first clinical CT images, taken with several of our prototype photon-counting and energy

Photon Counting Energy Dispersive Detector Arrays for X-ray Imaging.

PubMed

Iwanczyk, Jan S; Nygård, Einar; Meirav, Oded; Arenson, Jerry; Barber, William C; Hartsough, Neal E; Malakhov, Nail; Wessel, Jan C

2009-01-01

The development of an innovative detector technology for photon-counting in X-ray imaging is reported. This new generation of detectors, based on pixellated cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector arrays electrically connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for readout, will produce fast and highly efficient photon-counting and energy-dispersive X-ray imaging. There are a number of applications that can greatly benefit from these novel imagers including mammography, planar radiography, and computed tomography (CT). Systems based on this new detector technology can provide compositional analysis of tissue through spectroscopic X-ray imaging, significantly improve overall image quality, and may significantly reduce X-ray dose to the patient. A very high X-ray flux is utilized in many of these applications. For example, CT scanners can produce ~100 Mphotons/mm(2)/s in the unattenuated beam. High flux is required in order to collect sufficient photon statistics in the measurement of the transmitted flux (attenuated beam) during the very short time frame of a CT scan. This high count rate combined with a need for high detection efficiency requires the development of detector structures that can provide a response signal much faster than the transit time of carriers over the whole detector thickness. We have developed CdTe and CZT detector array structures which are 3 mm thick with 16×16 pixels and a 1 mm pixel pitch. These structures, in the two different implementations presented here, utilize either a small pixel effect or a drift phenomenon. An energy resolution of 4.75% at 122 keV has been obtained with a 30 ns peaking time using discrete electronics and a (57)Co source. An output rate of 6×10(6) counts per second per individual pixel has been obtained with our ASIC readout electronics and a clinical CT X-ray tube. Additionally, the first clinical CT images, taken with several of our prototype photon-counting and

FITPix COMBO—Timepix detector with integrated analog signal spectrometric readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holik, M.; Kraus, V.; Georgiev, V.; Granja, C.

2016-02-01

The hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix has proven a powerful tool in radiation detection and imaging. Energy loss and directional sensitivity as well as particle type resolving power are possible by high resolution particle tracking and per-pixel energy and quantum-counting capability. The spectrometric resolving power of the detector can be further enhanced by analyzing the analog signal of the detector common sensor electrode (also called back-side pulse). In this work we present a new compact readout interface, based on the FITPix readout architecture, extended with integrated analog electronics for the detector's common sensor signal. Integrating simultaneous operation of the digital per-pixel information with the common sensor (called also back-side electrode) analog pulse processing circuitry into one device enhances the detector capabilities and opens new applications. Thanks to noise suppression and built-in electromagnetic interference shielding the common hardware platform enables parallel analog signal spectroscopy on the back side pulse signal with full operation and read-out of the pixelated digital part, the noise level is 600 keV and spectrometric resolution around 100 keV for 5.5 MeV alpha particles. Self-triggering is implemented with delay of few tens of ns making use of adjustable low-energy threshold of the particle analog signal amplitude. The digital pixelated full frame can be thus triggered and recorded together with the common sensor analog signal. The waveform, which is sampled with frequency 100 MHz, can be recorded in adjustable time window including time prior to the trigger level. An integrated software tool provides control, on-line display and read-out of both analog and digital channels. Both the pixelated digital record and the analog waveform are synchronized and written out by common time stamp.

Characterization of the energy resolution and the tracking capabilities of a hybrid pixel detector with CdTe-sensor layer for a possible use in a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filipenko, Mykhaylo; Gleixner, Thomas; Anton, Gisela; Durst, Jürgen; Michel, Thilo

2013-04-01

Many different experiments are being developed to explore the existence of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0 νββ) since it would imply fundamental consequences for particle physics. In this work we present results on the evaluation of Timepix detectors with cadmium-telluride sensor material to search for 0 νββ in 116Cd. This work was carried out with the COBRA collaboration and the Medipix collaboration. Due to the relatively small pixel dimension of 110×110×1000 μm3 the energy deposited by particles typically extends over several detector pixels leading to a track in the pixel matrix. We investigated the separation power regarding different event-types like α-particles, atmospheric muons, single electrons and electron-positron pairs produced at a single vertex. We achieved excellent classification power for α-particles and muons. In addition, we achieved good separation power between single electron and electron-positron pair production events. These separation abilities indicate a very good background reduction for the 0 νββ search. Further, in order to distinguish between 2 νββ and 0 νββ, the energy resolution is of particular importance. We carried out simulations which demonstrate that an energy resolution of 0.43 % is achievable at the Q-value for 0 νββ of 116Cd at 2.814 MeV. We measured an energy resolution of 1.6 % at a nominal energy of 1589 keV for electron-positron tracks which is about two times worse that predicted by our simulations. This deviation is probably due to the problem of detector calibration at energies above 122 keV which is discussed in this paper as well.

The low energy detector of Simbol-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechner, P.; Andricek, L.; Briel, U.; Hasinger, G.; Heinzinger, K.; Herrmann, S.; Huber, H.; Kendziorra, E.; Lauf, T.; Lutz, G.; Richter, R.; Santangelo, A.; Schaller, G.; Schnecke, M.; Schopper, F.; Segneri, G.; Strüder, L.; Treis, J.

2008-07-01

Simbol-X is a French-Italian-German hard energy X-ray mission with a projected launch in 2014. Being sensitive in the energy range from 500 eV to 80 keV it will cover the sensitivity gap beyond the energy interval of today's telescopes XMM-Newton and Chandra. Simbol-X will use an imaging telescope of nested Wolter-I mirrors. To provide a focal length of 20 m it will be the first mission of two independent mirror and detector spacecrafts in autonomous formation flight. The detector spacecraft's payload is composed of an imaging silicon low energy detector in front of a pixelated cadmium-telluride hard energy detector. Both have a sensitive area of 8 × 8 cm2 to cover a 12 arcmin field of view and a pixel size of 625 × 625 μm2 adapted to the telescope's resolution of 20 arcsec. The additional LED specifications are: high energy resolution, high quantum efficiency, fast readout and optional window mode, monolithic device with 100 % fill factor and suspension mounting, and operation at warm temperature. To match these requirements the low energy detector is composed of 'active macro pixels', combining the large, scalable area of a Silicon Drift Detector and the low-noise, on-demand readout of an integrated DEPFET amplifier. Flight representative prototypes have been processed at the MPI semiconductor laboratory, and the prototype's measured performance demonstrates the technology readiness.

Study of the material of the ATLAS inner detector for Run 2 of the LHC

DOE PAGES

Aaboud, M.; Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; ...