Development of a μ-PIC with glass substrate aiming at high gas gain

Abstract

Micro pixel chambers (μ-PICs), which are a type of the micro-pattern gas chambers, are usually manufactured using the printed-circuit-board (PCB) technology. However, recent application projects have begun to require higher gas gains and finer position resolution than those obtainable with current μ-PICs. It is difficult to improve the electrode structure to achieve these improvements because PCB technology limits the precision of electrode fabrication and the thickness of the substrate. We have therefore adopted micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technology and developed the first prototype of a through-glass-via (TGV) μ-PIC. This prototype TGV μ-PIC worked well, achieving a maximum gain of approximately 20,000 and an energy resolution of 20.6% (FWHM) at 5.9 keV over the whole 5 × 5 cm2 detection area.

Time projection chambers for gamma-ray astronomy

“…This two-step gain system has provided stable operation for more than 10 years. Recently, a new µPIC was developed using a glass substrate instead of a polyimide one [Abe et al, 2020] and this new µPIC is not destroyed by discharges and provides a higher gain than the present µPIC by a factor of >2. Operations with CF 4 is planned, so as to attain an effective area of 10 cm 2 for a (30 cm) 3 cubic TPC.…”