Val O’Shea

The RD48 (ROSE) collaboration has succeeded to develop radiation hard silicon detectors, capable to withstand the harsh hadron fluences in the tracking areas of LHC experiments. In order to reach this objective, a defect engineering technique was employed resulting in the development of Oxygen enriched FZ silicon (DOFZ), ensuring the necessary O-enrichment of about 2×1017 O/cm3 in the normal detector processing. Systematic investigations have been carried out on various standard and oxygenated silicon diodes with neutron, proton and pion irradiation up to a fluence of 5×1014 cm−2 (1 MeV neutron equivalent). Major focus is on the changes of the effective doping concentration (depletion voltage). Other aspects (reverse current, charge collection) are covered too and the appreciable benefits obtained with DOFZ silicon in radiation tolerance for charged hadrons are outlined. The results are reliably described by the “Hamburg model”: its application to LHC experimental conditions is shown, demonstrating the superiority of the defect engineered silicon. Microscopic aspects of damage effects are also discussed, including differences due to charged and neutral hadron irradiation.

In this paper we report quantitative measurements of the imaging performance for the current generation of hybrid pixel detector, Medipix3, used as a direct electron detector. We have measured the modulation transfer function and detective quantum efficiency at beam energies of 60 and 80keV. In single pixel mode, energy threshold values can be chosen to maximize either the modulation transfer function or the detective quantum efficiency, obtaining values near to, or exceeding those for a theoretical detector with square pixels. The Medipix3 charge summing mode delivers simultaneous, high values of both modulation transfer function and detective quantum efficiency. We have also characterized the detector response to single electron events and describe an empirical model that predicts the detector modulation transfer function and detective quantum efficiency based on energy threshold. Exemplifying our findings we demonstrate the Medipix3 imaging performance recording a fully exposed electron diffraction pattern at 24-bit depth together with images in single pixel and charge summing modes. Our findings highlight that for transmission electron microscopy performed at low energies (energies <100keV) thick hybrid pixel detectors provide an advantageous architecture for direct electron imaging.

We present the FP420 R&D project, which has been studying the key aspects of the development and installation of a silicon tracker and fast-timing detectors in the LHC tunnel at 420 m from the interaction points of the ATLAS and CMS experiments. These detectors would measure precisely very forward protons in conjunction with the corresponding central detectors as a means to study Standard Model (SM) physics, and to search for and characterise new physics signals. This report includes a detailed description of the physics case for the detector and, in particular, for the measurement of Central Exclusive Production, pp→p+ϕ+p, in which the outgoing protons remain intact and the central system ϕ may be a single particle such as a SM or MSSM Higgs boson. Other physics topics discussed are γγ and γp interactions, and diffractive processes. The report includes a detailed study of the trigger strategy, acceptance, reconstruction efficiencies, and expected yields for a particularpp→pHp measurement with Higgs boson decay in theb mode. The document also describes the detector acceptance as given by the LHC beam optics between the interaction points and the FP420 location, the machine backgrounds, the new proposed connection cryostat and the moving (``Hamburg'') beam-pipe at 420 m, and the radio-frequency impact of the design on the LHC. The last part of the document is devoted to a description of the 3D silicon sensors and associated tracking performances, the design of two fast-timing detectors capable of accurate vertex reconstruction for background rejection at high-luminosities, and the detector alignment and calibration strategy.

We have developed a novel and highly radiation-tolerant n-in-p silicon microstrip sensor for very high radiation environments such as in the Super Large Hadron Collider. The sensors are designed for a fluence of 1×1015 neq/cm2 and are fabricated from p-type, FZ, 6 in. (150 mm) wafers onto which we lay out a single 9.75 cm×9.75 cm large-area sensor and several 1 cm×1 cm miniature sensors with various n-strip isolation structures. By evaluating the sensors both pre- and post-irradiation by protons and neutrons, we find that the full depletion voltage evolves to approximately 800 V and that the n-strip isolation depends on the p+ concentration. In addition, we characterize the interstrip resistance, interstrip capacitance and the punch-through-protection (PTP) voltage. The first fabrication batch allowed us to identify the weak spots in the PTP and the stereo strip layouts. By understanding the source of the weakness, the mask was modified accordingly. After modification, the follow-up fabrication batches and the latest fabrication of about 30 main sensors and associated miniature sensors have shown good performance, with no sign of microdischarge up to 1000 V.

This report summarises the final results obtained by the RD48 collaboration. The emphasis is on the more practical aspects directly relevant for LHC applications. The report is based on the comprehensive survey given in the 1999 status report (RD48 3rd Status Report, CERN/LHCC 2000-009, December 1999), a recent conference report (Lindström et al. (RD48), and some latest experimental results. Additional data have been reported in the last ROSE workshop (5th ROSE workshop, CERN, CERN/LEB 2000-005). A compilation of all RD48 internal reports and a full publication list can be found on the RD48 homepage (http://cern.ch/RD48/). The success of the oxygen enrichment of FZ-silicon as a highly powerful defect engineering technique and its optimisation with various commercial manufacturers are reported. The focus is on the changes of the effective doping concentration (depletion voltage). The RD48 model for the dependence of radiation effects on fluence, temperature and operational time is verified; projections to operational scenarios for main LHC experiments demonstrate vital benefits. Progress in the microscopic understanding of damage effects as well as the application of defect kinetics models and device modelling for the prediction of the macroscopic behaviour has also been achieved but will not be covered in detail.

Semiconductor tracking detectors at experiments such as ATLAS and LHCb at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be subjected to intense levels of radiation. The proposed machine upgrade, the Super-LHC (SLHC), to 10 times the initial luminosity of the LHC will require detectors that are ultra-radiation hard. Much of the current research into finding a detector that will meet the requirements of the SLHC has focused on using silicon substrates with enhanced levels of oxygen, for example Czochralski silicon and diffusion oxygenated float zone silicon, and into novel detector structures such as 3D devices. Another avenue currently being investigated is the use of wide band gap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Both SiC and GaN should be intrinsically more radiation hard than silicon. Pad and guard ring structures were fabricated on three epitaxial GaN wafers. The epitaxial GaN thickness was either 2.5 or 12μm and the fabricated detectors were irradiated to various fluences with 24GeV/c protons and 1 MeV neutrons. Detectors were characterised pre- and post-irradiation by performing current–voltage (I–V) and charge collection efficiency (CCE) measurements. Devices fabricated on 12μm epitaxial GaN irradiated to fluences of 1016protonscm-2 and 1016neutronscm-2 show maximum CCE values of 26% and 20%, respectively, compared to a maximum CCE of 53% of the unirradiated device.

Electron backscatter diffraction is a scanning electron microscopy technique used to obtain crystallographic information on materials. It allows the nondestructive mapping of crystal structure, texture, and strain with a lateral and depth resolution on the order of tens of nanometers. Electron backscatter diffraction patterns (EBSPs) are presently acquired using a detector comprising a scintillator coupled to a digital camera, and the crystallographic information obtainable is limited by the conversion of electrons to photons and then back to electrons again. In this article we will report the direct acquisition of energy-filtered EBSPs using a digital complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor hybrid pixel detector, Timepix. We show results from a range of samples with different mass and density, namely diamond, silicon, and GaN. Direct electron detection allows the acquisition of EBSPs at lower $(\ensuremath{\le}5$ keV) electron beam energies. This results in a reduction in the depth and lateral extension of the volume of the specimen contributing to the pattern and will lead to a significant improvement in lateral and depth resolution. Direct electron detection together with energy filtering (electrons having energy below a specific value are excluded) also leads to an improvement in spatial resolution but in addition provides an unprecedented increase in the detail in the acquired EBSPs. An increase in contrast and higher-order diffraction features are observed. In addition, excess-deficiency effects appear to be suppressed on energy filtering. This allows the fundamental physics of pattern formation to be interrogated and will enable a step change in the use of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) for crystal phase identification and the mapping of strain. The enhancement in the contrast in high-pass energy-filtered EBSD patterns is found to be stronger for lighter, less dense materials. The improved contrast for such materials will enable the application of the EBSD technique to be expanded to materials for which conventional EBSD analysis is not presently practicable.

In this work two wide bandgap materials, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), were investigated for their performance in harsh radiation environments. Schottky devices were fabricated on vanadium doped SiC (V-SiC), Okmetic semi insulating (SI) non-vanadium doped SiC, SI GaN grown by MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapour deposition) and bulk GaN. Completed devices were electrically characterised and the CCE (charge collection efficiency) calculated from pulse height spectra of 241Am α particles. SI GaN samples were irradiated with estimated neutron fluences of up to 1016n/cm2 (Ljubljana), proton fluences of 1016p/cm2 (CERN), and a dose of 600 Mrad of 10 keV X-rays (ICSTM, London). V-SiC samples were irradiated up to 5×1014π/cm2 using 300 MeV/c pions (PSI). Electrical characterisation and CCE calculations were repeated after irradiation to observe changes in properties caused by radiation induced damage.

We present the development and prototype test of the LPD instrument, a novel pixel detector for the European XFEL. At XFEL the LPD detector must be capable of operating with a frame rate of 4.5MHz and record images with a dynamic range of 1:100,000 photons (12keV) whilst maintaining low noise. The prototype LPD system has a large in pixel memory depth of 512 images that can be selected with a flexible veto system. Data is then transferred off the detector head in between XFEL pulses with an accompanying high rate data acquisition system. The system has been prototyped and assembled into an LPD detector head that contains custom silicon sensors and ASICs as well as a programmable data acquisition cards and supporting electronics and mechanics. A second version of the ASIC has also been submitted for manufacture. The experiences with our first prototype are presented.

We have been developing a novel radiation-tolerant n+-in-p silicon microstrip sensor for very high radiation environments, aiming for application in the high luminosity large hadron collider. The sensors are fabricated in 6 in., p-type, float-zone wafers, where large-area strip sensor designs are laid out together with a number of miniature sensors. Radiation tolerance has been studied with ATLAS07 sensors and with independent structures. The ATLAS07 design was developed into new ATLAS12 designs. The ATLAS12A large-area sensor is made towards an axial strip sensor and the ATLAS12M towards a stereo strip sensor. New features to the ATLAS12 sensors are two dicing lines: standard edge space of 910 μm and slim edge space of 450 μm, a gated punch-through protection structure, and connection of orphan strips in a triangular corner of stereo strips. We report the design of the ATLAS12 layouts and initial measurements of the leakage current after dicing and the resistivity of the wafers.

In the past year, the Linear Collider Flavour Identification (LCFI) Collaboration has taken significant steps towards having a sensor suitable for use in the silicon vertex detector of the International Linear Collider (ILC). The goal of the collaboration is to develop the sensors, electronic systems and mechanical support structures necessary for the construction of a high performance vertex detector and to investigate the contribution such a vertex detector can make to the physics accessible at the ILC. Particular highlights include the delivery and testing of both a second-generation column parallel CCD (CP-CCD), design of the next-generation readout ASIC (CPR2a) and a dedicated ASIC for driving the CP-CCD. This paper briefly describes these and other highlights.

We used a pixellated hybrid silicon X-ray detector to study the effect of the sharing of generated charge between neighbouring pixels over a range of incident X-ray energies, 13–36 keV. The system is a room temperature, energy resolving detector with a Gaussian FWHM of 265 eV at 5.9 keV. Each pixel is 300 μm square, 300 μm deep and is bump bonded to matching read out electronics. The modelling packages MEDICI and MCNP were used to model the complete X-ray interaction and the subsequent charge transport. Using this software a model is developed which reproduces well the experimental results. The simulations are then altered to explore smaller pixel sizes and different X-ray energies. Charge sharing was observed experimentally to be 2% at 13 keV rising to 4.5% at 36 keV, for an energy threshold of 4 keV. The models predict that up to 50% of charge may be lost to the neighbouring pixels, for an X-ray energy of 36 keV, when the pixel size is reduced to 55 μm.

The charge collection efficiency (CCE) of heavily irradiated silicon diode detectors was investigated at temperatures between 77 and 200 K. The CCE was found to depend on the radiation dose, bias voltage value and history, temperature, and bias current generated by light. The detector irradiated to the highest fluence 2×1015 n/cm2 yields a MIP signal of at least 15000 e− both at 250 V forward bias voltage, and at 250 V reverse bias voltage in the presence of a light-generated current. The “Lazarus effect” was thus shown to extend to fluences at least ten times higher than was previously studied.

Various fabrications routes to create ‘3D’ detectors have been investigated and the electrical characteristics of these structures have been compared to simulations. The geometry of the detectors is hexagonal with a central anode surrounded by six cathode contacts. A uniform electric field is obtained with the maximum drift and depletion distance set by electrode spacings rather than detector thickness. This should improve the ability of silicon to operate in the presence of the severe bulk radiation damage expected in high-energy colliders. Moreover, 3D detectors made with other materials (e.g. GaAs, SiC) may be used, for example, in X-ray detection for medical imaging. Holes in the substrate were made either by etching with an inductively coupled plasma machine, by laser drilling or by photochemical etching. A number of different hole diameters and thickness have been investigated. Experimental characteristics have been compared to MEDICI simulations.

To understand the neural code, that the retina uses to communicate the visual scene to the brain, large-area microelectrode arrays are needed to record retinal signals simultaneously from many recording sites. This will give a valuable insight into how large biological neural networks (such as the brain) process information, and may also be important in the development of a retinal prosthesis as a potential cure for some forms of blindness. We have used the transparent conductor indium tin oxide to fabricated electrode arrays with approximately 500 electrodes spaced at 60 /spl mu/m. The fabrication procedures include photolithography, electron-beam lithography, chemical etching and reactive-ion etching. These arrays have been tested electrically using impedance measurements over the range of frequencies important when recording extracellular action potentials (0.1-100kHz). The data has been compared to a circuit model of the electrode/electrolyte interface. One type of array (512 electrodes) behaves as theory would dictate and exhibits an impedance of 200 k/spl Omega/ at 1kHz. The other array (519 electrodes) has an impedance of 350 k/spl Omega/ at this frequency, which is higher than predicted by the models. This can perhaps be attributed to the difference in fabrication techniques. The 512-electrode array has been coupled to low-noise amplification circuitry and has recorded signals from a variety of retinal tissues. Example in vitro recordings are shown here.

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.

We are developing n+-in-p, p-bulk and n-readout, microstrip sensors, fabricated by Hamamatsu Photonics, as a non-inverting radiation hard silicon detector for the ATLAS tracker upgrade at the super-LHC (sLHC) proposed facility. The bulk radiation damage after neutron and proton irradiations is characterized with the leakage current, charge collection and full depletion voltage. The detectors should provide acceptable signal, signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 15, after the integrated luminosity of 6000 fb−1, which is twice the sLHC integrated luminosity goal.

The ALICE1LHCB pixel readout chip emerged from previous experience at CERN. The RD-19 collaboration provided the basis for the installation of a pixel system in the WA97 and NA57 experiments. Operation in these experiments was key in the understanding of the system issues. In parallel the RD-49 collaboration provided the basis to obtain radiation tolerance in commercial submicron CMOS through special circuit layout. The new ALICE1LHB chip was developed to serve two different applications: particle tracking in the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector and particle identification in the LHCb Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector. To satisfy the different needs for these two experiments, the chip can be operated in two different modes. In tracking mode all the 50 μm×425 μm pixel cells in the 256×32 array are read out individually, whilst in particle identification mode they are combined in groups of 8 to form a 32×32 array of 400 μm×425 μm cells. The circuit is currently being manufactured in a commercial 0.25 μm CMOS technology.

The design and technology of the silicon strip detector modules for the Semiconductor Tracker (SCT) of the ATLAS experiment have been finalised in the last several years. Integral to this process has been the measurement and verification of the tracking performance of the different module types in test beams at the CERN SPS and the KEK PS. Tests have been performed to explore the module performance under various operating conditions including detector bias voltage, magnetic field, incidence angle, and state of irradiation up to 3×1014 protons per square centimetre. A particular emphasis has been the understanding of the operational consequences of the binary readout scheme.

Optical links are used for the readout of the 4088 silicon microstrip modules that make up the SemiConductor Tracker of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The optical link requirements are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the very demanding environment at the LHC. The on-detector components have to operate in high radiation levels for 10 years, with no maintenance, and there are very strict requirements on power consumption, material and space. A novel concept for the packaging of the on-detector optoelectronics has been developed to meet these requirements. The system architecture, including its redundancy features, is explained and the critical on-detector components are described. The results of the extensive Quality Assurance performed during all steps of the assembly are discussed.

The ATLAS detector is now installed at the CERN LHC and a precise evaluation of the radiation environment within and around the detector is required to understand the performance of the various detector systems, and to predict their useful lifetime. Furthermore, validation of earlier Monte Carlo predictions about the radiation field in ATLAS is necessary. In particular, it is important to perform these measurements in the early phases of the LHC operation. Many other radiation measuring devices lack sensitivity to low doses, and usually do not provide information on the composition of the radiation during this low intensity period. A network of 15 ATLAS-MPX devices has been installed at various positions in the ATLAS detector. These devices are capable of providing quantitative real-time information on the fluxes and flux distributions of the main radiation types in the experiment, including slow and fast neutrons. The technical description of the ATLAS-MPX detector network as well as the principles of the data analysis is presented.

The precision measurements envisaged at the International Linear Collider (ILC) depend on excellent instrumentation and reconstruction software. The correct identification of heavy flavour jets, placing unprecedented requirements on the quality of the vertex detector, will be central for the ILC programme. This paper describes the LCFIVertex software, which provides tools for vertex finding and for identification of the flavour and charge of the leading hadron in heavy flavour jets. These tools are essential for the ongoing optimisation of the vertex detector design for linear colliders such as the ILC. The paper describes the algorithms implemented in the LCFIVertex package as well as the scope of the code and its performance for a typical vertex detector design.

We are developing n+-in-p, p-bulk and n-readout, microstrip sensors as a non-inverting radiation hard silicon detector for the ATLAS Tracker Upgrade at the super LHC experiment. The surface radiation damages of the sensors fabricated by Hamamatsu Photonics are characterized on the interstrip capacitance, interstrip resistance and punch-through protection evolution. The detector should provide acceptable strip isolation, exceeding the input impedance of the signal readout chip ∼1 kΩ, after the integrated luminosity of 6 ab−1, which is twice the luminosity goal.

In this work the results on imaging and spectroscopic performances of 14 × 14 × 1 mm CdTe detectors with 55 × 55 μm and 110 × 110 μm pixel pitch bump-bonded to a Timepix chip are presented. The performance of the 110 × 110 μm pixel detector was evaluated at the extreme conditions beam line I15 of the Diamond Light Source. The energy of X-rays was set between 25 and 77 keV. The beam was collimated through the edge slits to 20 μm FWHM incident in the middle of the pixel. The detector was operated in the time-over-threshold mode, allowing direct energy measurement. Energy in the neighbouring pixels was summed for spectra reconstruction. Energy resolution at 77 keV was found to be ΔE/E = 3.9%.

The ATLAS group has evaluated the charge collection in silicon microstrip sensors irradiated up to a fluence of 1×1016 neq/cm2, exceeding the maximum of 1.6×1015 neq/cm2 expected for the strip tracker during the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) period including a safety factor of 2. The ATLAS12, n+-on-p type sensor, which is fabricated by Hamamatsu Photonics (HPK) on float zone (FZ) substrates, is the latest barrel sensor prototype. The charge collection from the irradiated 1×1 cm2 barrel test sensors has been evaluated systematically using penetrating β-rays and an Alibava readout system. The data obtained at different measurement sites are compared with each other and with the results obtained from the previous ATLAS07 design. The results are very consistent, in particular, when the deposit charge is normalized by the sensor's active thickness derived from the edge transient current technique (edge-TCT) measurements. The measurements obtained using β-rays are verified to be consistent with the measurements using an electron beam. The edge-TCT is also effective for evaluating the field profiles across the depth. The differences between the irradiated ATLAS07 and ATLAS12 samples have been examined along with the differences among the samples irradiated with different radiation sources: neutrons, protons, and pions. The studies of the bulk properties of the devices show that the devices can yield a sufficiently large signal for the expected fluence range in the HL-LHC, thereby acting as precision tracking sensors.

A new ldquodouble sidedrdquo 3-D solid-state detector structure, intended to simplify the 3-D fabrication process, is proposed. In this structure, electrode columns of different doping types are etched from opposite sides of the substrate, with neither set of columns passing through the full substrate thickness. The finite-element simulation package ISE-TCAD is used to determine the performance of this structure. The double-sided detector shows similar electrostatic behavior to a standard 3-D detector, giving a low depletion voltage and fast charge collection. However, unless the electrode column length is very close to the substrate thickness, charge deposited around the front and back surfaces of the device is collected less quickly (though still rapidly compared with a planar geometry device). The breakdown voltage is dominated by high-field regions around the tips of the electrode columns and shows little change when the oxide charge is increased.

The Large Area Sensor (LAS) is a 1350 times1350 array of active pixels on a 40 Im pitch fabricated in a 0.35 im CMOS process. Stitching technology is employed to achieve an area of 5.4 cm times5.4 cm. The sensor includes 'regions of reset', whereby three different integration times can be set on the array to achieve a large imaging range for static scenes. Characterization of the noise performance included temporal and fixed pattern sources. LAS was found to have a read noise of 62 e <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-</sup> , a full well capacity of 61 times10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> e <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-</sup> and a conversion gain of 5 e <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-</sup> per digital number (DN). The fixed pattern noise (FPN) was evaluated at half saturation; within a single stitched section of the array, column-to-column FPN was found to be 0.6%, while the pixel-to-pixel FPN was 3%. Both FPN sources were found to be gain related and could be corrected via flat fielding. Based on the results of characterization, LAS was coupled to a structured CsI:Tl scintillator and included in an X-ray diffraction system developed for the analysis of breast biopsy samples. Data acquired with plastic test objects agrees with that acquired by a previous prototype sensor. It is demonstrated that an imaging output range of 140 dB can be achieved using integration times of 0.1 ms to record the transmitted X-ray beam and 2.3 s to record the lower intensity scattered radiation.

Results on beam tests of 3D silicon pixel sensors aimed at the ATLAS Insertable B-Layer and High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) upgrades are presented. Measurements include charge collection, tracking efficiency and charge sharing between pixel cells, as a function of track incident angle, and were performed with and without a 1.6 T magnetic field oriented as the ATLAS inner detector solenoid field. Sensors were bump-bonded to the front-end chip currently used in the ATLAS pixel detector. Full 3D sensors, with electrodes penetrating through the entire wafer thickness and active edge, and double-sided 3D sensors with partially overlapping bias and read-out electrodes were tested and showed comparable performance.

Hybrid pixel detectors (HPDs) have been shown to be highly effective for diffraction-based and time-resolved studies in transmission electron microscopy, but their performance is limited by the fact that high-energy electrons scatter over long distances in their thick Si sensors. An advantage of HPDs compared to monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) is that their sensor does not need to be fabricated from Si. We have compared the performance of the Medipix3 HPD with a Si sensor and with a GaAs:Cr sensor using primary electrons in the energy range of 60 - 300keV. We describe the measurement and calculation of the detectors' modulation transfer function (MTF) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE), which show that the performance of the GaAs:Cr device is markedly superior to that of the Si device for high-energy electrons.

A gas vertex detector, operated with dimethylether (DME) at atmospheric pressure, is presently being built for the ZEUS experiment at HERA. Its main design features, together with the performances of a prototype measured at various operating voltages, particle rates and geometrical conditions on a CERN Proton Synchrotron test beam, are presented. A spatial resolution down to 35 μm and an average wire efficiency of 96% have been achieved, for a 3 mm gas gap relative to each sense wire.

We have investigated the use of a Timepix detector as a method for increasing the realisable temporal resolution of a conventional 200keV transmission electron microscope (TEM). Evaluation of both single and integral mode image exposures was performed. Single exposure mode images showed that the available electron beam current became the limiting factor for timescales < 100 μs. Analysis of integral mode images showed that exposures times down to 500 ns were possible but that increases in image intensity and noise occurred. The performance data obtained represents a significant performance improvement on current TEM CCD imaging detectors.

The ATLAS collaboration R&D group “Development of n-in-p Silicon Sensors for very high radiation environment” has developed single-sided p-type 9.75 cm×9.75 cm sensors with an n-type readout strips having radiation tolerance against the 1015 1-MeV neutron equivalent (neq)/cm2 fluence expected in the Super Large Hadron Collider. The compiled results of an evaluation of the bulk and strip parameter characteristics of 19 new non-irradiated sensors manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics are presented in this paper. It was verified in detail that the sensors comply with the technical specifications required before irradiation. The reverse bias voltage dependence of various parameters, frequency dependence of tested capacitances, and strip scans of more than 23,000 strips as a test of parameter uniformity and strip quality over the whole sensor area have been carried out at Stony Brook University, Cambridge University, University of Geneva, and Academy of Sciences of CR and Charles University in Prague. No openings, shorts, or pinholes were observed on all tested strips, confirming the high quality of sensors made by Hamamatsu Photonics.

The ATLAS experiment is preparing for the planned luminosity upgrade of the LHC (the super-luminous LHC or sLHC) with a programme of development for tracking able to withstand an order of greater magnitude radiation fluence and much greater hit occupancy rates than the current detector. This has led to the concept of an all-silicon tracker with an enhanced performance pixel-based inner region and short-strips for much of the higher radii. Both sub-systems employ many common technologies, including the proposed “stave” concept for integrated cooling and support. For the short-strip region, use of this integrated stave concept requires single-sided modules mounted on either side of a thin central lightweight support. Each sensor is divided into four rows of 23.82 mm length strips; within each row, there are 1280 strips of 74.5μm pitch. Well over a hundred prototype sensors are being delivered by Hamamatsu Photonics (HPK) to Japan, Europe and the US. We present results of the first 20 chip ABCN25 ASIC hybrids for these sensors, results of the first prototype 5120 strip module built with 40 ABCN25 read-out ASICs, and the status of the hybrids and modules being developed for the ATLAS tracker upgrade stave programme.

A radiation hard n+-in-p micro-strip sensor for the use in the Upgrade of the strip tracker of the ATLAS experiment at the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) has been developed by the "ATLAS ITk Strip Sensor collaboration" and produced by Hamamatsu Photonics. Surface properties of different types of end-cap and barrel miniature sensors of the latest sensor design ATLAS12 have been studied before and after irradiation. The tested barrel sensors vary in "punch-through protection" (PTP) structure, and the end-cap sensors, whose stereo-strips differ in fan geometry, in strip pitch and in edge strip ganging options. Sensors have been irradiated with proton fluences of up to 1×1016 neq/cm2, by reactor neutron fluence of 1×1015 neq/cm2 and by gamma rays from 60Co up to dose of 1 MGy. The main goal of the present study is to characterize the leakage current for micro-discharge breakdown voltage estimation, the inter-strip resistance and capacitance, the bias resistance and the effectiveness of PTP structures as a function of bias voltage and fluence. It has been verified that the ATLAS12 sensors have high breakdown voltage well above the operational voltage which implies that different geometries of sensors do not influence their stability. The inter-strip isolation is a strong function of irradiation fluence, however the sensor performance is acceptable in the expected range for HL-LHC. New gated PTP structure exhibits low PTP onset voltage and sharp cut-off of effective resistance even at the highest tested radiation fluence. The inter-strip capacitance complies with the technical specification required before irradiation and no radiation-induced degradation was observed. A summary of ATLAS12 sensors tests is presented including a comparison of results from different irradiation sites. The measured characteristics are compared with the previous prototype of the sensor design, ATLAS07.

Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) designed in a standard VLSI CMOS technology have recently been proposed as a compact pixel detector for the detection of high-energy charged particle in vertex/tracking applications. MAPS, also named CMOS sensors, are already extensively used in visible light applications. With respect to other competing imaging technologies, CMOS sensors have several potential advantages in terms of low cost, low power, lower noise at higher speed, random access of pixels which allows windowing of region of interest, ability to integrate several functions on the same chip. This brings altogether to the concept of ‘camera-on-a-chip’. In this paper, we review the use of CMOS sensors for particle physics and we analyse their performances in term of the efficiency (fill factor), signal generation, noise, readout speed and sensor area. In most of high-energy physics applications, data reduction is needed in the sensor at an early stage of the data processing before transfer of the data to tape. Because of the large number of pixels, data reduction is needed on the sensor itself or just outside. This brings in stringent requirements on the temporal noise as well as to the sensor uniformity, expressed as a Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN). A pixel architecture with an additional transistor is proposed. This architecture, coupled to correlated double sampling of the signal will allow cancellation of the two dominant noise sources, namely the reset or kTC noise and the FPN. A prototype has been designed in a standard 0.25 μm CMOS technology. It has also a structure for electrical calibration of the sensor. The prototype is functional and detailed tests are under way.

Flat-field correction methods are implemented in order to eliminate non-uniformities in X-ray imaging sensors. If the compensation is perfect, then the remaining variations result from noise over the detector area. The efficiency of the compensation is reduced when an object is placed in the beam. A principle cause of this effect is believed to be the spectrum hardening caused by the object. In a normal application the correction factors are calculated for a certain spectrum, meaning that the average of the correction for the individual photon energies are used. If the composition of the spectrum changes the correction factor will also change. In this paper, we present a theory for the sensitivity of the gain constants on X-ray spectra. The theory is supported by experimental data obtained with X-ray spectra and monochromatic X-rays.

Three-dimensional (3D) photodiode detectors offer advantages over standard planar photodiodes in a range of applications, including X-ray detection for synchrotrons and medical imaging. The principal advantage of these sensors for X-ray imaging is their low charge sharing between adjacent pixels, which could improve spatial and spectral resolution. A 'double-sided' 3D detector has been bonded to a Medipix2 single-photon-counting readout chip, and tested in a monochromatic X-ray beam at the Diamond synchrotron. Tests of the 3D detector's response spectrum and its Line Spread Function have shown that it has substantially lower charge sharing than a standard planar Medipix2 sensor. Additionally, the 3D detector was used to image diffraction rings produced by a powdered silicon sample, demonstrating the detector's use in a standard synchrotron experiment.

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Detector developments are currently enabling new capabilities in the field of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We have investigated the limits of a hybrid pixel detector, Medipix3, to record dynamic, time varying, electron signals. Operating with an energy of 60 keV, we have utilised electrostatic deflection to oscillate electron beam position on the detector. Adopting a pump-probe imaging strategy, we have demonstrated that temporal resolutions three orders of magnitude smaller than are available for typically used TEM imaging detectors are possible. Our experiments have shown that energy deposition of the primary electrons in the hybrid pixel detector limits the overall temporal resolution. Through adjustment of user specifiable thresholds or the use of charge summing mode, we have obtained images composed from summing 10,000s frames containing single electron events to achieve temporal resolution less than 100 ns. We propose that this capability can be directly applied to studying repeatable material dynamic processes but also to implement low-dose imaging schemes in scanning transmission electron microscopy.

We present room temperature measurements on 200 /spl mu/m thick GaAs pixel detectors, which were hybridized to silicon readout circuits. The whole detector array contains 320/spl times/240 square shaped pixel with a pitch of 38 /spl mu/m and is based on semi-insulating liquid-encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) GaAs material. After fabricating and dicing, the detector chips were indium bump flip chip bonded to CMOS readout circuits based on charge integration and finally evaluated. This readout chip was originally designed for the readout of flip chip bonded infrared detectors, but appears to be suitable for X-ray applications as well. A bias voltage between 50 V and 100 V was sufficient to operate the detector at room temperature. The detector array did respond to X-ray radiation by an increase in current due to production of electron hole pairs by the ionization processes. Images of various objects and slit patterns were acquired by using a standard X-ray source for dental imaging. The new X-ray hybrid detector was analyzed with respect to its imaging properties. Due to the high absorption coefficient for X-rays in GaAs and the small pixel size, the sensor shows a high modulation transfer function up to the Nyquist frequency.

The recovery of the charge collection efficiency (CCE) at low temperatures, the so-called ”Lazarus effect”, was studied in Si detectors irradiated by fast reactor neutrons, by protons of medium and high energy, by pions and by gamma-rays. The experimental results show that the Lazarus effect is observed: (a) after all types of irradiation; (b) before and after space charge sign inversion; (c) only in detectors that are biased at voltages resulting in partial depletion at room temperature. The experimental temperature dependence of the CCE for proton-irradiated detectors shows non-monotonic behaviour with a maximum at a temperature defined as the CCE recovery temperature. The model of the effect for proton-irradiated detectors agrees well with that developed earlier for detectors irradiated by neutrons. The same midgap acceptor-type and donor-type levels are responsible for the Lazarus effect in detectors irradiated by neutrons and by protons. A new, abnormal “zigzag”-shaped temperature dependence of the CCE was observed for detectors irradiated by all particles (neutrons, protons and pions) and by an ultra-high dose of γ-rays, when operating at low bias voltages. This effect is explained in the framework of the double-peak electric field distribution model for heavily irradiated detectors. The redistribution of the space charge region depth between the depleted regions adjacent to p+ and n+ contacts is responsible for the “zigzag”- shaped curves. It is shown that the CCE recovery temperature increases with reverse bias in all detectors, regardless of the type of radiation.

Fifteen ATLAS-MPX devices are installed in the ATLAS detector and cavern by the ATLAS-MPX collaboration. This network of sensors provides a real-time measurement of the composition of the radiation field inside the ATLAS detector and its cavern. This article reports calibration measurements of the thermal and fast neutron detection efficiency of the ATLAS-MPX devices. In order to detect neutrons, the 300-μm-thick silicon sensor of each device was covered with mask of 6LiF and polyethylene (PE) converters. Efficiency measurements were performed with calibrated natural thermal neutron source, calibrated 252Cf and 241AmBe sources. Fast neutrons with monochromatic energy of 14 MeV were delivered by a Van de Graaff (VDG) accelerator beam. The devices showed a mean efficiency of 1.02×10−2 for thermal neutrons (6LiF–Si region), 3.17×10−4 for 252Cf, 7.51×10−4 for 241AmBe and 1.81×10−3 for 14 MeV neutrons (PE-Si region) while all background signals generated by X-rays, gamma-rays and electrons were fully suppressed by appropriate discrimination level. These data allow the estimation of the neutron fluxes in ATLAS and provide initial data for precise simulation of the detector environment at the ATLAS-MPX devices locations.

We demonstrate the use of the miniaturised Medipix positron sensor for detection of the clinical PET radiotracer, [(68)Ga]gallium-citrate, on a silica-based monolith, towards microfluidic quality control. The system achieved a far superior signal-to-noise ratio compared to conventional sodium iodide-based radio-HPLC detection and allowed real-time visualisation of positrons in the monolith.

The upgrade to the High-Luminosity LHC foreseen in about ten years represents a great challenge for the ATLAS inner tracker and the silicon strip sensors in the forward region. Several strip sensor designs were developed by the ATLAS collaboration and fabricated by Hamamatsu in order to maintain enough performance in terms of charge collection efficiency and its uniformity throughout the active region. Of particular attention, in the case of a stereo-strip sensor, is the area near the sensor edge where shorter strips were ganged to the complete ones. In this work the electrical and charge collection test results on irradiated miniature sensors with forward geometry are presented. Results from charge collection efficiency measurements show that at the maximum expected fluence, the collected charge is roughly halved with respect to the one obtained prior to irradiation. Laser measurements show a good signal uniformity over the sensor. Ganged strips have a similar efficiency as standard strips.

The "ATLAS ITk Strip Sensor Collaboration" R&D group has developed a second iteration of single-sided n+-in-p type micro-strip sensors for use in the tracker upgrade of the ATLAS experiment at the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC. The full size sensors measure approximately 97×97mm2 and are designed for tolerance against the 1.1×1015neq/cm2 fluence expected at the HL-LHC. Each sensor has 4 columns of 1280 individual 23.9mm long channels, arranged at 74.5μm pitch. Four batches comprising 120 sensors produced by Hamamatsu Photonics were evaluated for their mechanical, and electrical bulk and strip characteristics. Optical microscopy measurements were performed to obtain the sensor surface profile. Leakage current and bulk capacitance properties were measured for each individual sensor. For sample strips across the sensor batches, the inter-strip capacitance and resistance as well as properties of the punch-through protection structure were measured. A multi-channel probecard was used to measure leakage current, coupling capacitance and bias resistance for each individual channel of 100 sensors in three batches. The compiled results for 120 unirradiated sensors are presented in this paper, including summary results for almost 500,000 strips probed. Results on the reverse bias voltage dependence of various parameters and frequency dependence of tested capacitances are included for validation of the experimental methods used. Comparing results with specified values, almost all sensors fall well within specification.

This work will show the investigation into a possible design of flat panel geometry for the large pixel detector (LPD) at the X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) at DESY. LPD will be one of the detections systems for applications such as coherent X-ray diffraction imaging, small molecule imaging and pump-probe techniques. A proposed design of the LPD is to incorporate edgeless technology through the use of current terminating ring structures. Additionally dry-etching techniques to minimize the edge effects associated with tiled detectors are also examined.

MI-3 is a consortium of 11 universities and research laboratories whose mission is to develop complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensors (APS) and to apply these sensors to a range of imaging challenges. A range of sensors has been developed: On-Pixel Intelligent CMOS (OPIC)—designed for in-pixel intelligence; FPN—designed to develop novel techniques for reducing fixed pattern noise; HDR—designed to develop novel techniques for increasing dynamic range; Vanilla/PEAPS—with digital and analogue modes and regions of interest, which has also been back-thinned; Large Area Sensor (LAS)—a novel, stitched LAS; and eLeNA—which develops a range of low noise pixels. Applications being developed include autoradiography, a gamma camera system, radiotherapy verification, tissue diffraction imaging, X-ray phase-contrast imaging, DNA sequencing and electron microscopy.

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is a well-established scanning electron microscope (SEM)-based technique [1]. It allows the non-destructive mapping of the crystal structure, texture, crystal phase and strain with a spatial resolution of tens of nanometers. Conventionally this is performed by placing an electron sensitive screen, typically consisting of a phosphor screen combined with a charge coupled device (CCD) camera, in front of a specimen, usually tilted 70° to the normal of the exciting electron beam. Recently, a number of authors have shown that a significant increase in spatial resolution is achievable when Kikuchi diffraction patterns are acquired in transmission geometry; that is when diffraction patterns are generated by electrons transmitted through an electron-transparent, usually thinned, specimen. The resolution of this technique, called transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD), has been demonstrated to be better than 10 nm [2,3]. We have recently demonstrated the advantages of a direct electron detector, Timepix [4,5], for the acquisition of standard EBSD patterns [5]. In this article we will discuss the advantages of Timepix to perform TKD and for acquiring spot diffraction patterns and more generally for acquiring scanning transmission electron microscopy micrographs in the SEM. Particularly relevant for TKD, is its very compact size, which allows much more flexibility in the positioning of the detector in the SEM chamber. We will furthermore show recent results using Timepix as a virtual forward scatter detector, and will illustrate the information derivable on producing images through processing of data acquired from different areas of the detector. We will show results from samples ranging from gold nanoparticles to nitride semiconductor nanorods.

Silicon sensor technologies with reduced dead area at the sensor's perimeter are under development at a number of institutes. Several fabrication methods for sensors which are sensitive close to the physical edge of the device are under investigation utilising techniques such as active-edges, passivated edges and current-terminating rings. Such technologies offer the goal of a seamlessly tiled detection surface with minimum dead space between the individual modules. In order to quantify the performance of different geometries and different bulk and implant types, characterisation of several sensors fabricated using active-edge technology were performed at the B16 beam line of the Diamond Light Source. The sensors were fabricated by VTT and bump-bonded to Timepix ROICs. They were 100 and 200 μ m thick sensors, with the last pixel-to-edge distance of either 50 or 100 μ m. The sensors were fabricated as either n-on-n or n-on-p type devices. Using 15 keV monochromatic X-rays with a beam spot of 2.5 μ m, the performance at the outer edge and corners pixels of the sensors was evaluated at three bias voltages. The results indicate a significant change in the charge collection properties between the edge and 5th (up to 275 μ m) from edge pixel for the 200 μ m thick n-on-n sensor. The edge pixel performance of the 100 μ m thick n-on-p sensors is affected only for the last two pixels (up to 110 μ m) subject to biasing conditions. Imaging characteristics of all sensor types investigated are stable over time and the non-uniformities can be minimised by flat-field corrections. The results from the synchrotron tests combined with lab measurements are presented along with an explanation of the observed effects.

Abstract The present manuscript describes a comprehensive characterization of a novel highly segmented 5 mm CZT sensor attached to Timepix3. First, the sensor’s IV curve was measured and basic sensor characterization was done with laboratory γ -radiation sources. The sensor resistivity was determined to be (0.155± 0.02) GOhm · cm. The sensor showed decent homogeneity, both for the per-pixel count rate and electron mobility-lifetime product μ e τ e . The latter was measured to be <?CDATA $\overline{{\mu }_{{\rm{e}}}{\tau }_{{\rm{e}}}}$?> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mover accent="true"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="true">¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:math> = 1.3 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V with a standard deviation σ = 0.4 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V describing the dispersion of values for different pixels. The basic sensor characterization is complemented by measurements at grazing angle in a 120 GeV/ c at the CERN’s Super Proton Synchrotron. The penetrating nature of these particles together with the pixelation of the sensor allows for a determination of the charge collection efficiency (CCE), as well as charge carrier drift properties (drift times, lateral charge cloud expansion) as a function of the interaction depths in the sensor. While CCE drops by 30%–40% towards the cathode side of the sensor, from the drift time dependency on interaction depth, the electron mobility μ e was extracted to be (944.8 ± 1.3) cm 2 /V/s and τ e = (1.38 ± 0.31) μ s. The spectroscopic performance was assessed in photon fields and extracted from energy loss spectra measured at different angles in the pion beam. While at photon energies below 120 keV incomplete charge collection leads to an underestimation of the photon energy when irradiated from the front-side, at higher energies the relative energy resolution was found to be ∼4.5%, while a relative energy resolution of ∼7.5% was found for the particle energy loss spectra. It is shown that the drift time information can be used to reconstruct particle interactions in the sensor in 3D, providing a spatial resolution of σ xyz = 241 μ m within the sensor volume and a particle trajectory measurement precision Δ xyz = 100 μ m, at a distance of 1 m from the sensor. We demonstrate by measurement with a 22 Na source, that the energy resolution combined with the 3D reconstruction allows for detection of γ -ray source location and polarity using Compton scattering within the sensor (Compton camera and scatter polarimeter).

Gallium arsenide pixel detectors processed on a 200 μm Semi-Insulating (SI) Hitachi substrate were bump-bonded to the Omega3 electronics developed at CERN for high energy physics [1]. The pixel dimensions are 50 μm × 500 μm for a total of 2048 cells and an active area of ∼0.5 cm2. Our aim is to use this system for medical imaging. We report the results obtained after irradiation of the detector with different X-ray sources on phantoms with different contrasts. The system showed good sensitivity to X-rays from 241Am (60 keV) and 109Cd (22.1 keV). It is also sensitive to β− particles from 90Sr as well as from 32P which is used as a tracer for autoradiography applications. The inherent high absorption efficiency of GaAs associated with the self-triggering capabilities of the pixel readout system reduced considerably the acquisition time compared with traditional systems based on silicon or emulsions. The present configuration is not optimised for X-ray imaging. The reduction of the pixel dimensions to 200 μm × 200 μm together with the integration of a counter in the pixel electronics would make the detector competitive for applications like mammography or dental radiology. For certain applications in biochemistry, such as DNA sequencing, where good spatial resolution is required only in one direction, the present setup should allow the best spatial resolution available up to now with respect to other digital autoradiographic systems. DNA sequencing tests are now under way.

The ALEPH collaboration, in view of the importance of effective vertex detection for the Higgs boson search at LEP 2, decided to upgrade the previous vertex detector. Main changes were an increased length (+/- 20 cm), a higher granularity for r phi view (50 mu m), a new preamplifier (MX7 rad hard chip), a polymide (upilex) fan-out on z side to carry the signals from the strips to the front-end electronics outside the fiducial region reducing consequently the passive material in the central region by a factor of two. The detector, the running experience and its performance will be described. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

To understand how biological neural networks, such as the retina, process information, transparent microelectrode arrays have been made using the semiconductor indium tin oxide (ITO). These arrays have been used for in vitro biological experiments where it is possible to record simultaneously the action potentials from hundreds of retinal ganglion cells. To combat inefficient detection of a particular class of retinal output neuron, an array with 30μm spaced 519-electrodes has been developed. These arrays are characterised electrically before being employed in biological experiments. With a view to future higher density arrays, impedance and capacitance measurements were made over varying width, length and separation of ITO wires. These tests led to an equivalent circuit model representing electrode array characteristics. The results suggest array sizes of 2000 electrodes and beyond should be feasible.

The radiation hardness of semiconductor detectors for harsh environments, including nuclear, space, and particle physics, may be enhanced by a number of strategies. We examine the use of materials alternative to silicon, namely silicon carbide and gallium nitride, as well as a nonconventional geometry called "3-D." Fabricated detectors were irradiated to fast hadron fluences of 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -2/ and measurements were made of I--V, C--V and charge collection efficiency before and after irradiation. The performance in each case was found to degrade only slightly, promising highly radiation tolerant operation.

Novel features of a new monolithic active pixel sensor, Vanilla, with 520×520 pixels (25μm square) has been characterised for the first time. Optimisation of the sensor operation was made through variation of frame rates, integration times and on-chip biases and voltages. Features such as flushed reset operation, ROI capturing and readout modes have been fully tested. Stability measurements were performed to test its suitablility for long-term applications. These results suggest the Vanilla sensor—along with bio-medical and space applications—is suitable for use in particle physics experiments.

Three-dimensional (3D) photodiode detectors offer advantages over standard planar photodiodes in a wide range of applications. The main advantage of these sensors for X-ray imaging is their reduced charge sharing between adjacent pixels, which could improve spatial and spectral resolution. However, a drawback of 3D sensors structures is the loss of detection efficiency due to the presence in the pixel structure of heavily doped electrode columns which are insensitive to X-ray. In this work two types of 3D silicon detectors: n-type wafer with hole collecting readout-columns (n-type) and p-type wafer with electron collecting readout-columns (p-type), bump-bounded to a Medipix2 read-out chip were characterized with a 14.5 keV micro-focused X-ray beam from a synchrotron. Measurements of the detection efficiency and the charge sharing were performed at different bias voltages and Medipix2 energy thresholds and compared with those of a standard planar silicon sensor.

Current techniques for the measurement of radioactivity at various points during PET radiopharmaceutical production and R&D are based on the detection of the annihilation gamma rays from the radionuclide in the labelled compound. The detection systems to measure these gamma rays are usually variations of NaI or CsF scintillation based systems requiring costly and heavy lead shielding to reduce background noise. These detectors inherently suffer from low detection efficiency, high background noise and very poor linearity. They are also unable to provide any reasonably useful position information. A novel positron counting technique is proposed for the radioactivity assay during radiopharmaceutical manufacturing that overcomes these limitations. Detection of positrons instead of gammas offers an unprecedented level of position resolution of the radiation source (down to sub-mm) thanks to the nature of the positron interaction with matter. Counting capability instead of charge integration in the detector brings the sensitivity down to the statistical limits at the same time as offering very high dynamic range and linearity from zero to any arbitrarily high activity. This paper reports on a quantitative comparison between conventional detector systems and the proposed positron counting detector.

A ring-imaging Cherenkov detector, equipped with hybrid photon detectors, has been operated in a charged-particle beam. Focussed ring images from various particle types were detected using silica aerogel, air and C4F10 gas radiators. The detector, a prototype for the CERN LHC-B experiment, is described and first observations are reported.

The ALICE1 chip is a mixed-mode integrated circuit to read out silicon pixel detectors used for particle tracking in the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector or particle identification in the LHCb Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector. The chip will be fabricated in a commercial 0.25Pm technology and transistors are designed with a radiation-tolerant geometry. It consists of 256 u 32 pixel cells, each of 50Pm u 400Pm, and can be operated in one of two modes. In tracking mode, all cells are read out. In particle identification mode, 8 cells are grouped together, reducing the effective granularity to 32 u 32 cells of 400Pm u 400Pm. The cell architecture is described in detail, together with the two operational modes and issues of system integration.

Semi-insulating, undoped, Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski (SI-U LEC) GaAs detectors have been irradiated with 1MeV neutrons, 24GeV/c protons, and 300MeV/c pions. The maximum fluences used were 6, 3, and 1.8~10$^{14}$ particles/cm$^{2}$ respectively. For all three types of irradiation the charge collection efficiencies (cce) of the detector are reduced due to the reduction in the electron and hole mean free paths. Pion and proton irradiations produce a greater reduction in cce than neutron irradiation with the pions having the greatest effect. The effect of annealing the detectors at room temperature, at 200$^{o}$C and at 450$^{o}$C with a flash lamp have been shown to reduce the leakage current and increase the cce of the irradiated detectors. The flash-lamp anneal produced the greatest increase in the cce from 26% to 70% by increasing the mean free path of the electrons. Two indium-doped samples were irradiated with 24GeV/c protons and demonstrated no improvement over SI U GaAs with respect to post-irradiation cce.

The GaAs detectors for minimum ionizing particles fabricated with commercial undoped SI GaAs show good quality as minimum ionizing particle detectors. A discussion is given of the present understanding of the charge transport mechanism in the detectors since it influences their charge collection efficiency.

The production of high-density, large-area microelectrode arrays for neurophysiology studies requires a combination of electron beam lithography and photolithography, together with dry etch pattern transfer. The retina is one of the few parts of the animal nervous system to which the input (image) and output (ganglion) signals are accessible. To read out the signals from the ganglion cells, we have made microelectrode arrays in the transparent conductor indium tin oxide (ITO) by CH4/H2 reactive ion etching (RIE) using a novel masking technique that avoids the usual problem of resist cross-linking. An electron beam lithography process has also been developed exploiting multiple plasma steps. The ITO layer lies on a glass substrate to allow the retinal cells and the electrode positions to be photographed using a CCD camera. SF6 RIE of vias through a thick protective silicon nitride coating deposited by plasma onto the ITO/glass permits the platinization of the electrodes. Both CH4/H2 and SF6 RIE require low electrical damage to the ITO, which we verify.

We present a study of the modeling of the electric field distribution, which is controlled by injection and trapping of nonequilibrium carriers, in Si detectors irradiated by high neutron fluences. An analytical calculation of the electric field distribution in detectors irradiated by neutrons up to fluences of 1 /spl middot/ 10/sup 14/ to 5 /spl middot/ 10/sup 15/ cm/sup -2/ shows the possibility of reducing the full depletion voltage at low temperatures via hole injection. For this calculation, we use the detector operating parameters and equivalent neutron fluences expected for Large Hadron Collider experiments. The results of the calculation are in good qualitative agreement with published experimental data, lending strong support for the model and for an earlier proposal of electric field manipulation by free carrier injection.

The Pixel Detector is the innermost part of the ATLAS experiment tracking device at the Large Hadron Collider, and plays a key role in the reconstruction of the primary vertices from the collisions and secondary vertices produced by short-lived particles. To cope with the high level of radiation produced during the collider operation, it is planned to add to the present three layers of silicon pixel sensors which constitute the Pixel Detector, an additional layer (Insertable B-Layer, or IBL) of sensors. 3D silicon sensors are one of the technologies which are under study for the IBL. 3D silicon technology is an innovative combination of very-large-scale integration and Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems where electrodes are fabricated inside the silicon bulk instead of being implanted on the wafer surfaces. 3D sensors, with electrodes fully or partially penetrating the silicon substrate, are currently fabricated at different processing facilities in Europe and USA. This paper reports on the 2010 June beam test results for irradiated 3D devices produced at FBK (Trento, Italy). The performance of these devices, all bump-bonded with the ATLAS pixel FE-I3 read-out chip, is compared to that observed before irradiation in a previous beam test.

The transmission electron microscope (TEM) is an indispensable tool for the study of magnetic micro- and nano-structures. High resolution digital detectors have largely replaced film as the primary detection method for electron microscopy. In this study we assess the benefits of using the Medipix2 chip, bump bonded to a 300 μm Si detector, as a flexible dual purpose detector for scanning/imaging mode operation on a Philips CM20 FEG TEM/STEM at the University of Glasgow. Specifically, the magnetic imaging modes of Fresnel and Differential phase contrast (DPC) were utilised and the performance of the Medipix chip compared to that of the CCD and the segmented photodiode normally used for these techniques. The Medipix detector matched the performance of the segmented detector for DPC imaging while offering greater flexibility in the approach. It also shown an improvement of > 60 in the signal to noise performance over the CCD used for Fresnel imaging.

A proposal to fabricate large area strip sensors with integrated, or embedded, pitch adapters is presented for the End-cap part of the Inner Tracker in the ATLAS experiment. To implement the embedded pitch adapters, a second metal layer is used in the sensor fabrication, for signal routing to the ASICs. Sensors with different embedded pitch adapters have been fabricated in order to optimize the design and technology. Inter-strip capacitance, noise, pick-up, cross-talk, signal efficiency, and fabrication yield have been taken into account in their design and fabrication. Inter-strip capacitance tests taking into account all channel neighbors reveal the important differences between the various designs considered. These tests have been correlated with noise figures obtained in full assembled modules, showing that the tests performed on the bare sensors are a valid tool to estimate the final noise in the full module. The full modules have been subjected to test beam experiments in order to evaluate the incidence of cross-talk, pick-up, and signal loss. The detailed analysis shows no indication of cross-talk or pick-up as no additional hits can be observed in any channel not being hit by the beam above 170 mV threshold, and the signal in those channels is always below 1% of the signal recorded in the channel being hit, above 100 mV threshold. First results on irradiated mini-sensors with embedded pitch adapters do not show any change in the interstrip capacitance measurements with only the first neighbors connected.

Solid state detectors made of Si (4.8/spl times/8 mm/sup 2/) and GaAs (6.4/spl times/8 mm/sup 2/) pixel matrices bump-bonded to the Omega2 and Omega3 electronic read-out systems, developed at CERN for H.E.P. experiments, have been used to obtain autoradiographic images of clusters of human epithelial cells and DNA fragments separated via electrophoresis, both labeled with /sup 32/P. The system has shown a good minimum detectable activity per unit area of 2.10/sup -4/ cps mm/sup -2/, and has proved linear for a count rate in the range 0.2-20 cpa, typical of autoradiography. The pixel dimensions are 75/spl times/500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ (Si-Omega2) and 50/spl times/500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ (GaAs-Omega3), respectively. We are able to clearly localize clusters of cells which have incorporated the radioactive tracer and DNA fragments on an electrophoretic gel on paper (blots).

GaAs is a semiconductor suitable for room temperature X-ray detection but hitherto has suffered from incomplete charge collection and is affected by noise. Recent GaAs detectors made with LEC material have shown improved charge collection efficiency and energy resolution. In this paper we describe the fabrication process and present the results obtained with 80 μm thick pad detectors.

Three-dimensional (3-D) detectors have many potential advantages over standard planar devices and for a range of applications, e.g., high energy physics, synchrotron radiation detection and medical imaging. One such area is minimizing the effects due to charge sharing between adjacent pixels. Simulations of pixel detector compatible with the Medipix2 chip show that 3-D detectors have significant advantages in this area. In addition, a 64/spl times/64 pixel 3-D detector designed for read-out by the Medipix1 chip has been fabricated. The sensors have been characterized using current-voltage and capacitance measurements. They are currently being bump-bonded to the Medipix1 chip at the University of Freiburg in order for the complete system to be evaluated using a X-ray source.

A network of 15 Medipix2-based devices (ATLAS-MPX devices) has been installed at various positions in the ATLAS detector within the framework of the ATLAS-MPX collaboration. The aim of the network is to perform real-time measurement of spectral characteristics and composition of the main radiation types in the experiment including slow and fast neutrons, especially during the initial low luminosity LHC operation. This contribution describes the network structure and focuses on the neutron efficiency calibration process of the ATLAS-MPX devices and its simulation in order to predict the behavior of the device in complex neutron fields.

3D detectors are photodiode detectors with n- and p-type electrode columns passing through a silicon substrate. This structure gives a much smaller spacing between the electrodes than in a standard photodiode, greatly reducing the detector's operating voltage and collection time. The device structure also reduces charge sharing between adjacent pixels. This improves the image quality, making these detectors potentially useful for applications such as X-ray diffraction experiments in synchrotrons. A set of silicon detectors with a simplified “double-sided” 3D structure have been fabricated. After being bump-bonded to Medipix2 single-photon-counting readout chips, they have been tested using X-rays and alpha particles. The test results show that the 3D detectors have substantially lower charge sharing than a planar detector of the same thickness.

320×240 pixels GaAs Schottky barrier detector arrays were fabricated, hybridized to silicon readout circuits, and subsequently evaluated. The detector chip was based on semi-insulating LEC GaAs material. The square shaped pixel detector elements were of the Schottky barrier type and had a pitch of 38μm. The GaAs wafers were thinned down prior to the fabrication of the ohmic back contact. After dicing, the chips were indium bump, flip-chip bonded to CMOS readout circuits based on charge integration, and finally evaluated. A bias voltage between 50 and 100V was sufficient to operate the detector. Results on I–V characteristics, noise behaviour and response to X-ray radiation are presented. Images of various objects and slit patterns were acquired by using a standard dental imaging X-ray source. The work done was a part of the XIMAGE project financed by the European Community (Brite-Euram).

In this paper, we report on the performance of heavily irradiated silicon detectors operated at cryogenic temperatures. The results discussed here show that cryogenic operation indeed represents a reliable method to increase the radiation tolerance of standard silicon detectors by more than one order of magnitude. In particular, a 400 μm thick "double-p" silicon detector irradiated up to 1×1015 n/cm2 delivers a mip signal of about 27 000 electrons when operated at 130 K and 500 V bias. The position resolution of an irradiated microstrip detector, and "in situ" irradiation of a pad detector during operation in the cold are also discussed.

Fabrication routes to realising ‘3D’ detectors in gallium arsenide have been investigated and their electrical characteristics measured. The geometry of the detector is hexagonal with a central anode surrounded by six cathode contacts. This geometry gives a uniform electric field with the maximum drift and depletion distance set by electrode spacings rather than detector thickness. The advantages of this structure include short collection distances, fast collection times and low depletion voltages depending on the electrode diameter and pitch chosen. These characteristics are fundamental for the application of 3D detectors in, for example, medical imaging and protein crystallography.

The proposed upgrade of the CERN Large Hadron Collider to ten times brighter luminosity poses severe challenges to semiconductor detectors within the CERN experiments. We investigate a silicon "3-D" detector design for these conditions and semiconductors alternative to silicon, namely silicon carbide and gallium nitride. Charge collection measurements suggest some degree of additional radiation tolerance over conventional detector geometry and materials.

The need for more efficient, more radiation tolerant sensors with better spatial and temporal resolution is ubiquitous. The drive for this comes from the ever more demanding high-energy physics experiments and synchrotron light sources where current technology is struggling to meet demands. Moreover, the developments in semiconductor detectors, as a result of academic research, are now being employed in areas such as medical imaging. In turn, such applications have their own very diverse and challenging requirements. The new “3-D” detector architecture, first proposed in 1997 [IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 45(3) (1998) 751], has significant advantages over standard planar technology in a wide range of applications, e.g. in high-energy physics, synchrotron radiation detection and medical imaging. In 3-D detectors, unlike standard planar technology, the electrodes, as illustrated in Fig. 1, traverse the detector bulk. A 64×64 pixel 3-D detector designed for read out using a Medipix1 chip has been fabricated in silicon. The sensors have been characterised and the initial test results are presented in this paper.

High quantum efficiency is important in X-ray imaging applications. This means using high-Z sensor materials. Unfortunately many of these materials suffer from defects that cause non-ideal charge transport. In order to increase the understanding of these defects, we have mapped the 3D response of a number of defects in two 1 mm thick CdTe sensors with different pixel sizes (55 μm and 110 μm) using a monoenergetic microbeam at 79 keV. The sensors were bump bonded to Timepix read out chips. Data was collected in photon counting as well as time-over-threshold mode. The time-over-threshold mode is a very powerful tool to investigate charge transport properties and fluorescence in pixellated detectors since the signal from the charge that each photon deposits in each pixel can be analyzed. Results show distorted electrical field around the defects, indications of excess leakage current and large differences in behavior between electron collection and hole collection mode. The experiments were carried out on the Extreme Conditions Beamline I15 at Diamond Light Source.

We describe a general method to determine the location of a point source of waves relative to a two-dimensional active pixel detector. Based on the inherent structural sensitivity of crystalline sensor materials, characteristic detector diffraction patterns can be used to triangulate the location of a wave emitter. As a practical application of the wide-ranging principle, a digital hybrid pixel detector is used to localize a source of electrons for Kikuchi diffraction pattern measurements in the scanning electron microscope. This provides a method to calibrate Kikuchi diffraction patterns for accurate measurements of microstructural crystal orientations, strains, and phase distributions.

A summary is given of progress accomplished with the development of low-pressure vapour-phase epitaxial GaAs as a material for X-ray detectors. As the III–V concentration ratio is altered from Ga-rich to As-rich, the material is shown to improve from p-type, to n-type with compensation via deep levels, to n-type with a doping density of 1.7×1014 atoms cm−3. The measured barrier height is 0.8 V, as expected for the Ti contact used. Overdepletion was obtained before breakdown, enabling a layer thickness of 41μm to be deduced for the final sample. For the later samples, charge collection for 60 keV Am-241 gammas was bias independent at a value of 100±8%. Spectra were also obtained from Sr-90 electrons. The most probable value of the charge collected as a function of the bias reached a plateau and from this value a depletion width of 40μm was found for the final sample, equal to the epitaxial layer thickness. Results from detailed alpha and low-energy proton spectroscopy are shown for diodes fabricated from this material. A charge collection efficiency of 100% was obtained when the diode could be depleted sufficiently. The concept of a charge collection depth was introduced, since a significant amount of charge was collected without bias. The minimum depth of such a region was shown to be 10.8μm at 0 V reverse bias, far greater than the 1.1μm predicted for the depletion depth. Charge coupling between the guard ring and the pad was observed and successfully modelled.

Abstract In previous studies, various semi-insulating LEC GaAs crystals were irradiated with photons in the diagnostic energy range (20–100 keV), in view of a possible application in digital radiography. Solid-state and irradiation measurements, together with Monte Carlo simulations, have indicated good candidates for this application among the crystals we have investigated. In this paper we present results concerning the detection characteristics (detection efficiency, charge-collection efficiency and energy resolution as functions of the bias voltage) of one of these materials and the images obtained by a pixel detector made on the same material and a bump-bonded electronic system.

Both n-strip on n-bulk and p-strip on n-bulk silicon microstrip detectors have been irradiated at the CERN PS to a fluence of 3×1014pcm−2 and their post-irradiation performance compared using fast binary readout electronics. Results are presented for test beam measurements of the efficiency and resolution as a function of bias voltage made at the CERN SPS, and for noise measurements giving detector strip quality. The detectors come from four different manufacturers and were made as prototypes for the SemiConductor Tracker of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC.

Understanding how the retina encodes the visual scene is a problem, which requires large area, high-density microelectrode arrays to solve. The correlated signals that emerge from the output (ganglion) cells of the retina form a code, which is not well understood. We use a combination of electron beam lithography, photolithography and dry-etch pattern transfer to realise a 519-electrode array in the transparent conductor indium tin oxide (ITO). The electrodes are spaced at 60 μm in a hexagonal close-packed geometry. A mix and match lithography procedure is utilised, whereby the high-density inner region is fabricated using electron beam lithography whilst the outer sections are realised by photolithography. Reactive ion etching (RIE), using CH4/H2, of the ITO forms the array structure and SF6 RIE allows resist removal and patterning of vias through a plasma deposited Si3N4 protective layer. The electrical properties of the ITO layer are unaffected by the etching procedures. A reliable method for achieving low-impedance electroplated platinum electrodes has been employed to yield electrode impedances of ∼20 kΩ. An array fabricated using these dry-etch techniques is shown to record action potentials from live retinal tissue in neurophysiological experiments.

There are two key approaches in our CERN RD 39 Collaboration efforts to obtain ultra-radiation-hard Si detectors: (1) use of the charge/current injection to manipulate the detector internal electric field in such a way that it can be depleted at a modest bias voltage at cryogenic temperature range (⩽150 K), and (2) freezing out of the trapping centers that affects the CCE at cryogenic temperatures lower than that of the liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperature. In our first approach, we have developed the advanced radiation hard detectors using charge or current injection, the current injected diodes (CID). In a CID, the electric field is controlled by injected current, which is limited by the space charge, yielding a nearly uniform electric field in the detector, independent of the radiation fluence. In our second approach, we have developed models of radiation-induced trapping levels and the physics of their freezing out at cryogenic temperatures.

Position sensitive hybrid pixel-detectors have been fabricated by bump bonding silicon or bulk grown semi-insulating gallium arsenide pixel detectors to CMOS read-out chips. Their performance as X-ray imaging sensors, in the energy range of 10-70 keV, was evaluated in terms of spatial resolution. For the GaAs device a fit was made to the line spread function (LSF) obtained from the image of a narrow slit and the corresponding modulation transfer function (MTF) and noise equivalent passband (N/sub e/) evaluated. A value of 5.7 line pairs per mm (1p/mm) was found for the latter, with a modulation of 10% at the Nyquist frequency (N/sub y/). A comparison is also given of the performance of these devices with state-of-the-art scintillator on silicon CCD dental X-ray sensors. In a bid to improve detector performance, thick layers of high quality GaAs have recently been grown by low pressure vapour phase epitaxy (LP-VPE). Hall measurements on initial samples gave free carrier concentration of 1-8/spl times/10/sup 11/ cm/sup -3/ From the C-V dependence of a reverse-biased Schottky diode this material, however, a space charge density of 2/spl times/10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/ was measured. The observed temperature and frequency dependency of the capacitance is characteristic of the presence of deep levels and so the material is believed to have a small degree of compensation due to these levels. The measured charge collection efficiency determined (c.c.e.) for 60 keV gamma rays showed an increase with reverse bias, reaching a plateau value of 93% for 100 V. The limitations of present detectors are discussed and possible future developments indicated.

Abstract Digital systems for dental X-ray imaging are rapidly replacing conventional film techniques. The major advantages of digital systems are reduced X-ray doses due to increased sensitivity, time savings since no development is needed and reduced use of chemicals for film development. Most of the currently available digital systems are based on a silicon CCD coated with a scintillating material. In this paper we present some of the research going on in order to develop new X-ray imaging sensors with improved sensitivity.

The Large Area Detector is a photon counting detector based on pixel readout ASICs with 64×64 arrays of square pixels bump bonded to a thick Si detector. It is designed for X-ray diffraction studies and is capable of up to count rate per pixel. A prototype has been tested at the synchrotron radiation source in Daresbury in a X-ray beam. This paper focuses on the spatial resolution and noise performance. The calculation of modulation transfer functions leads to analytical formulae allowing the determination of the theoretical spatial resolution.

We present results on the measurement of the charge collection efficiency of a p+/n/p+ silicon detector irradiated to 1×1015 n/cm2, operated in the temperature range between 80 and 200 K. For comparison, measurements obtained with a standard silicon diode (p+/n/n+), irradiated to the same fluence, are also presented. Both detectors show a dramatic increase of the CCE when operated at temperatures around 130 K. The double-p detector shows a higher CCE regardless of the applied bias and temperature, besides being symmetric with respect to the polarity of the bias voltage. At 130 K and 500 V applied bias the double-p detector shows a CCE of 80%, an unprecedented result for a silicon detector irradiated to such a high dose.

This work will report on the characterisation of a new active pixel sensor, Vanilla. The Vanilla comprises of 512×512 (25μm2) pixels. The sensor has a 12 bit digital output for full-frame mode, although it can also be readout in analogue mode, whereby it can also be read in a fully programmable region-of-interest (ROI) mode. In full frame, the sensor can operate at a readout rate of more than 100 frames per second (fps), while in ROI mode, the speed depends on the size, shape and number of ROIs. For example, an ROI of 6×6 pixels can be read at 20,000 fps in analogue mode. Using photon transfer curve (PTC) measurements allowed for the calculation of the read noise, shot noise, full-well capacity and camera gain constant of the sensor. Spectral response measurements detailed the quantum efficiency (QE) of the detector through the UV and visible region. Analysis of the ROI readout mode was also performed. Such measurements suggest that the Vanilla APS (active pixel sensor) will be suitable for a wide range of applications including particle physics and medical imaging.

This work will report on the first work on the characterization of a back-thinned Vanilla-a 512×512 (25 μm squared) active pixel sensor (APS). Characterization of the detectors was carried out through the analysis of photon transfer curves to yield a measurement of full well capacity, noise levels, gain constants and linearity. Spectral characterization of the sensors was also performed in the visible and UV regions. A full comparison against non-back-thinned front illuminated Vanilla sensors is included. Such measurements suggest that the Vanilla APS will be suitable for a wide range of applications, including particle physics and biomedical imaging.

In this article we report on the use micro-focus synchrotron X-ray radiation and pion beams to compare the detection efficiencies and charge sharing properties of novel 3D detectors to that of the current planar technology. Detector substrates are bump-bonded to the Medipx2 and Timepix chips. 55¿m square pixel maps of the detection efficiencies have been produced using X-ray and MIP beams. For X-rays, a drop of 3-4% detection efficiency over the pixel area was found due to the central electrode. The corner electrodes show no degradation in efficiency compared to that of the planar device. For MIPs a drop of 0.5% in efficiency due to the central electrode was observed. Evidence of a considerable reduction in charge sharing in the 3D detectors compared to the planar devices is also shown.

This paper describes the design and implementation of the grounding and shielding system for the ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker (SCT). The mitigation of electromagnetic interference and noise pickup through power lines is the critical design goal as they have the potential to jeopardize the electrical performance. We accomplish this by adhering to the ATLAS grounding rules, by avoiding ground loops and isolating the different subdetectors. Noise sources are identified and design rules to protect the SCT against them are described. A rigorous implementation of the design was crucial to achieve the required performance. This paper highlights the location, connection and assembly of the different components that affect the grounding and shielding system: cables, filters, cooling pipes, shielding enclosure, power supplies and others. Special care is taken with the electrical properties of materials and joints. The monitoring of the grounding system during the installation period is also discussed. Finally, after connecting more than four thousand SCT modules to all of their services, electrical, mechanical and thermal within the wider ATLAS experimental environment, dedicated tests show that noise pickup is minimised.

Timepix3 is a high-speed hybrid pixel detector consisting of a 256×256 pixel matrix with a maximum data rate of up to 5.12 Gbps (80 MHit/s). The ASIC is equipped with eight data channels that are data driven and zero suppressed making it suitable for particle tracking and spectral imaging.

The present understanding of the charge collection in GaAs detectors with respect to the materials used and its processing are discussed. The radiation induced degradation of the charge collection efficiency and the leakage current of the detectors are summarised. The status of strip and pixel detectors for the ATLAS experiment are reported along with the latest results from GaAs X-ray detectors for non-high energy physics applications.

Semiconductor hybrid pixel detectors, originally developed for particle physics experiments, have been used for an X-ray diffraction experiment on a synchrotron radiation source. The spatial resolution of the intensity peaks in the diffraction patterns of silicon and potassium niobate powder samples was found to be better than that of a scintillator-based system, typically used at present. The two-dimensional position information of the pixel detector enabled multi-peak diffraction patterns to be acquired and clearly resolved without the need for an angle scan with a diffractometer. This trial experiment shows the potential of this technology for high-resolution high-rate diffraction systems.

Semiconductor pixel detectors, originally developed for particle physics experiments, have been studied as X-ray imaging devices. The performance of devices using the Ω3 read-out chip bump-bonded to pixellated silicon semiconductor detectors is characterised in terms of their signal-to-noise ratio when exposed to 60 kVp X-rays. Although parts of the devices achieve values of this ratio compatible with the noise being photon statistics limited, this is not found to hold for the whole pixel matrix, resulting in the global signal-to-noise ratio being compromised. First results are presented of X-ray images taken with a gallium arsenide pixel detector bump-bonded to a new read-out chip, (MEDIPIX), which is a single photon counting read-out chip incorporating a 15-bit counter in every pixel.

We first briefly review the performances for X-ray detection which are obtained using thin epitaxial GaAs layers. We then show that good detectors can be realized on thick and large area epitaxial GaAs layers which are now available, making them suitable for X-ray imaging. We finally discuss the main limitation imposed by the epitaxial nature of this new material and ways to overcome it.

A set of double-sided 3D silicon detectors have been fabricated, bump bonded to single-photon-counting Medipix2 readout chips, and tested using X-ray sources. When tested with monochromatic X-rays, the 3D detectors show reduced charge sharing compared with standard planar pixel detectors

We present the development of a high-speed, single-photon counting, Hybrid Photo Detector (HPD). The HPD consists of a vacuum tube, containing the detector assembly, sealed with a transparent optical input window. Photons incident on the photocathode eject a photoelectron into a large electric field, which accelerates the incident electron onto a silicon detector. The silicon detector is bump bonded to a Medipix readout chip. This set-up allows for the detection and readout of low incident photon intensities at rates that are otherwise unattainable with current camera technology. Reported is the fabrication of the camera that brings together a range of sophisticated design and fabrication techniques and the expected theoretical imaging performance. Applications to cellular and molecular microscopy are also described in which single-photon-counting abilities at high frame rates are crucial.

High stopping power is one of the most important figures of merit for X-ray detectors. CdTe is a promising material but suffers from: material defects, non-ideal charge transport and long range X-ray fluorescence. Those factors reduce the image quality and deteriorate spectral information. In this project we used a monochromatic pencil beam collimated through a 20μm pinhole to measure the detector spectral response in dependance on the depth of interaction. The sensor was a 1mm thick CdTe detector with a pixel pitch of 110μm, bump bonded to a Timepix readout chip operating in Time-Over-Threshold mode. The measurements were carried out at the Extreme Conditions beamline I15 of the Diamond Light Source. The beam was entering the sensor at an angle of \texttildelow20 degrees to the surface and then passed through \texttildelow25 pixels before leaving through the bottom of the sensor. The photon energy was tuned to 77keV giving a variation in the beam intensity of about three orders of magnitude along the beam path. Spectra in Time-over-Threshold (ToT) mode were recorded showing each individual interaction. The bias voltage was varied between -30V and -300V to investigate how the electric field affected the spectral information. For this setup it is worth noticing the large impact of fluorescence. At -300V the photo peak and escape peak are of similar height. For high bias voltages the spectra remains clear throughout the whole depth but for lower voltages as -50V, only the bottom part of the sensor carries spectral information. This is an effect of the low hole mobility and the longer range the electrons have to travel in a low field.