Timepix4, a large area pixel detector readout chip which can be tiled on 4 sides providing sub-200 ps timestamp binning

Abstract

Timepix4 is a 24.7 × 30.0 mm2 hybrid pixel detector readout ASIC which has been designed to permit detector tiling on 4 sides. It consists of 448 × 512 pixels which can be bump bonded to a sensor with square pixels at a pitch of 55 µm. Like its predecessor, Timepix3, it can operate in data driven mode sending out information (Time of Arrival, ToA and Time over Threshold, ToT) only when a pixel has a hit above a pre-defined and programmable threshold. In this mode hits can be tagged to a time bin of <200 ps and Timepix4 can record hits correctly at incoming rates of ∼3.6 MHz/mm2/s. In photon counting (or frame-based) mode it can count incoming hits at rates of up to 5 GHz/mm2/s. In both modes data is output via between 2 and 16 serializers each running at a programmable data bandwidth of between 40 Mbps and 10 Gbps. The specifications, architecture and circuit implementation are described along with first electrical measurements and measurements with radioactive sources. In photon counting mode X-ray images have been taken at a threshold of 650 e− (with <10 masked pixels). In data driven mode images were taken of ToA/ToT data using a 90Sr source at a threshold of 800 e− (with ∼120 masked pixels).

Experimental helium‐beam radiography with a high‐energy beam: Water‐equivalent thickness calibration and first image‐quality results

“…Such dead-time rates are not suitable for a time-efficient implementation of iRAD. Next-generation Timepix technologies, named Timepix3 and 4 64,65 with practically dead-time free acquisition due to data-driven,sparse readout of the pixel matrix,could be used to address this challenge. Timepix3 and 4 enable hit rates of ∼40Mhits/s/cm 2 350Mhits/s/cm 2 .…”

Integration and Packaging

“…and several others [5] [6]. The Timepix 4 collaboration has recently demonstrated a 4-side buttable chip utilizing TSVs to achieve >99.5% active area in a bump-bonded array [7]. In the following sections we comment a few potential applications in HEP.…”

4D Tracking: Present Status and Perspective

“…The most advanced 4D-tracker detector using planar sensors in a hybrid configuration is the NA62 GigaTracker [21] (GTK). The GTK comprises three stations, each made of 18000 pixels of 300x300 µm 2 for a total area of 60.8 × 27 Another very interesting development in 4D-tracking using a hybrid configuration is provided by the Timepix4 ASIC [22]. This application aims to achieve an excellent position resolution with good time-tagging capability.…”