Speaker
Description
Future high-energy physics experiments demand micropattern gaseous detectors (MPGDs) with enhanced radiation tolerance, long-term stability and reliable operation under increasingly harsh conditions. Meeting these challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between detector fabrication, materials properties, gas chemistry and aging mechanisms. To address this need, the University of São Paulo has established an integrated research platform dedicated to the complete experimental investigation of MPGDs throughout their lifecycle.
The platform combines complementary capabilities for detector development, advanced materials characterization and controlled aging studies. Alternative manufacturing approaches, including laser micromachining, lithographic processing and additive manufacturing, are being explored to enable novel detector geometries and local fabrication strategies. Structural and chemical characterization is performed using scanning electron microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and near-ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS), providing detailed information on microstructure, elemental composition and surface chemistry. A dedicated aging facility equipped with real-time quadrupole mass spectrometry enables controlled irradiation experiments while continuously monitoring the evolution of the detector gas composition. These measurements are complemented by electrical characterization and numerical simulations to establish quantitative correlations between fabrication parameters, gas-phase reactions, surface modifications and detector performance.
The integration of these experimental capabilities within a single research infrastructure enables systematic studies that are difficult to achieve using isolated techniques. Rather than focusing on individual aspects of detector development, the platform provides a unified framework to investigate how fabrication processes influence detector operation and long-term degradation. This contribution presents the current status of the facility, its experimental capabilities and recent results demonstrating its potential as a comprehensive research environment for the development and understanding of next-generation micropattern gaseous detectors.