The PERCIVAL soft X-ray imager

A: PERCIVAL ("Pixelated Energy Resolving CMOS Imager, Versatile And Large") is a monolithic active pixel sensor (MAPS) based on CMOS technology. Is being developed by DESY, RAL/STFC, Elettra, DLS, and PAL to address the various requirements of detectors at synchrotron radiation sources and Free Electron Lasers (FELs) in the soft X-ray regime. These requirements include high frame rates and FELs base-rate compatibility, large dynamic range, single-photon counting capability with low probability of false positives, high quantum efficiency (QE), and (multi-)megapixel arrangements with good spatial resolution. Small-scale back-sideilluminated (BSI) prototype systems are undergoing detailed testing with X-rays and optical photons, in preparation of submission of a larger sensor.A first BSI processed prototype was tested in 2014 and a preliminary result -first detection of 350eV photons with some pixel types of PERCIVAL -reported at this meeting a year ago.Subsequent more detailed analysis revealed a very low QE and pointed to contamination as a possible cause. In the past year, BSI-processed chips on two more wafers were tested and their response to soft X-ray evaluated. We report here the improved charge collection efficiency (CCE) of different PERCIVAL pixel types for 400eV soft X-rays together with Airy patterns, response to a flat field, and noise performance for such a newly BSI-processed prototype sensor.

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“…In [6], the results of the first TS1 BSI chip were presented. Noise maps and images of Airy patterns were shown.…”

Section: Testing Percival Prototypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation of a PERCIVAL monolithic active pixel prototype using synchrotron radiation

et al. 2016

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“…Currently, most of the soft X-ray beamlines, as the SEXTANT beamline [4] at SOLEIL synchrotron, use a commercial in-vacuum back-side illuminated CCD camera (for example the Princeton Instruments PI-MTE, 13.5 µm² pixel size) which insures a nice performance in term of signal to noise ratio with a high detection efficiencies but suffers from a severe readout speed limitation due to the charge transfer from pixel to pixel (typically 4 s for 16 bit depth image with 1 Mhz analog to digital converter). Anyway, we could relate some specific CMOS detectors as Femtopix using Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) technology [5] for very high frame rate soft X-ray FEL application or PERCIVAL detector [6], a CMOS-MAPS (Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor) currently under development by a group of synchrotrons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of a back-illuminated CMOS camera for soft x-ray coherent scattering

Desjardins¹,

Popescu²,

Mercère³

et al. 2019

AIP Conference Proceedings

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A commercial scientific camera has been adapted and characterized at the SOLEIL Synchrotron with the aim to improve the acquisition capabilities on the soft X-ray coherent scattering experimental station at SEXTANTS beamline. This device is equipped by the last generation of back side illuminated scientific CMOS (BSI-sCMOS) of 2048 by 2048 pixels of 11 m² able to acquire low noise images with a frame rate up to 48 Hz. The camera's performance measurements have been done and shows a good level of readout noise, a large full-well capacity, a medium dark current and a good homogeneity, respectively, 1.6 e-rms (in High Gain mode), 80 000 e-(in Low Gain mode), < 5 e-/pixel/s and ~ 1%. The quantum efficiency (QE) measurement has been performed at the soft x-ray branch of the METROLOGIE beamline and gives a relatively good agreement with the expected theoretical values. Finally, the demonstration of the camera's efficiency and of the gain in useful time measurement related to the high frame rate have been performed with a series of Airy patterns images compared with an image recorded using the standard BSI-CDD already in operation at the SEXTANTS beamline.

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“…The Airy patterns recorded with the first BSI prototype in 2014 clearly showed different spatial frequencies of the Airy pattern dominating in different areas of the test chipcorresponding to different pixel types. We concluded from this that some pixel types were predominantly responding to higher harmonics in the beam [see Wunderer et al (2015) for images and a more detailed description of results]. Fig.…”

Section: Status and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…First pixel prototypes were available with BSI processing in early 2014. They demonstrated a soft X-ray response to 350 eV in some of the pixel types investigated (Wunderer et al, 2015). Photograph of a PERCIVAL prototype sensor, wire-bonded to its chip on board (CoB) PCB support.…”

Section: Status and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detector developments at DESY

Wunderer

Allahgholi

Bayer

et al. 2016

J Synchrotron Radiat

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With the increased brilliance of state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation sources and the advent of free-electron lasers (FELs) enabling revolutionary science with EUV to X-ray photons comes an urgent need for suitable photon imaging detectors. Requirements include high frame rates, very large dynamic range, single-photon sensitivity with low probability of false positives and (multi)-megapixels. At DESY, one ongoing development project - in collaboration with RAL/STFC, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Diamond, and Pohang Accelerator Laboratory - is the CMOS-based soft X-ray imager PERCIVAL. PERCIVAL is a monolithic active-pixel sensor back-thinned to access its primary energy range of 250 eV to 1 keV with target efficiencies above 90%. According to preliminary specifications, the roughly 10 cm × 10 cm, 3.5k × 3.7k monolithic sensor will operate at frame rates up to 120 Hz (commensurate with most FELs) and use multiple gains within 27 µm pixels to measure 1 to ∼100000 (500 eV) simultaneously arriving photons. DESY is also leading the development of the AGIPD, a high-speed detector based on hybrid pixel technology intended for use at the European XFEL. This system is being developed in collaboration with PSI, University of Hamburg, and University of Bonn. The AGIPD allows single-pulse imaging at 4.5 MHz frame rate into a 352-frame buffer, with a dynamic range allowing single-photon detection and detection of more than 10000 photons at 12.4 keV in the same image. Modules of 65k pixels each are configured to make up (multi)megapixel cameras. This review describes the AGIPD and the PERCIVAL concepts and systems, including some recent results and a summary of their current status. It also gives a short overview over other FEL-relevant developments where the Photon Science Detector Group at DESY is involved.

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The PERCIVAL soft X-ray imager

Cited by 27 publications

References 11 publications

Characterisation of a PERCIVAL monolithic active pixel prototype using synchrotron radiation

Characterisation of a PERCIVAL monolithic active pixel prototype using synchrotron radiation

Characterization of a back-illuminated CMOS camera for soft x-ray coherent scattering

Detector developments at DESY

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