Performance of the new integrated front-end electronics of the TRACE array commissioned with an early silicon detector prototype

Abstract

The spectroscopic performances of the new integrated ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) preamplifiers for highly segmented silicon detectors have been evaluated with an early silicon detector prototype of the TRacking Array for light Charged Ejectiles (TRACE). The ASICS were mounted on a custom-designed PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and the detector plugged on it. Energy resolution tests, performed on the same detector before and after irradiation, yielded a resolution of 21 keV and 33 keV FWHM respectively. The output signals were acquired with an array of commercial 100-MHz 14-bit digitizers. The preamplifier chip is equipped with an innovative Fast-Reset device that has two functions: it reduces dramatically the dead time of the preamplifier in case of saturation (from milliseconds to microseconds) and extends the spectroscopic dynamic range of the preamplifier by more than one order of magnitude. Other key points of the device are the low noise and the wide bandwidth.

Design and Experimental Validation of an Integrated Multichannel Charge Amplifier for Solid-State Detectors With Innovative Spectroscopic Range Booster

“…Most of them implement a pulsed-reset technique only for dead-time reduction [22], [23], without the additional feature of the dynamic-range extension. If the baseline fluctuations are not negligible, the measurement of the reset time alone is not sufficient to retrieve a good energy information: digital [9] or analog [21] techniques must be used.…”

“…In low-countingrate situations the term Q 0 is thus completely negligible and the energy-retrieval technique is perfectly functional. In case of high counting rates such term may become relevant and more refined algorithms [9] are required for high-resolution spectroscopy. A circuit implementing an analog algorithm that corrects the fast-reset spectra has also been realized [21].…”

“…We designed, realized and tested an integrated multichannel charge-sensitive pre-amplifier [8], [9] compliant with the specification of the GAL-TRACE detector. The circuit peculiar features are low noise, low power consumption, fast open-loop gain.…”

Impedance and Noise Closed-Form Model of Large-Area Integrated Resistors With High Stray Capacitance to be Used as Feedback Discharge Devices in Charge-Sensitive Preamplifiers for Nuclear Spectroscopy

“…A low-noise CSP [12] was used to evaluate the total input current PSD of noise generated by the polysilicon RWDC. For the PSD measurements an Agilent 4395A Network Spectrum Analyzer was connected to the CSP output.…”

Validation and Characterization of the GALTRACE Silicon Detector Array Demonstrator

“…The detector readout is performed with dedicated ASIC charge-sensitive preamplifiers (CSP, see fig. 2) designed by the INFN of Milan electronics group [4], [5], [6], [7]. These CSPs are realized in AMS 350 nm BiCMOS technology [8].…”