Speaker
Description
Silicon sensors are the common position sensitive technology in particle physics and related applications. Despite decades of progress, silicon sensors have not kept pace with the miniaturisation achieved by the broader semiconductor industry, limitations that conventional analogue approaches have been unable to overcome. Key problems are the low dynamic range implied by the reduced operating voltage and the relatively large transistor footprint required by analogue front-end circuits, which prevents silicon pixel detectors from maintaining pace with the miniaturisation achieved by the broader semiconductor industry.
Particam addresses this challenge through a fully digital architecture that exploits Single Event Upsets (SEUs) in circuits inspired by digital memory cells as the detection mechanism, rather than suppressing them like in conventional design approach. Reducing each pixel to a memory cell-like circuit with very few transistors, pixel pitches of a few microns become achievable, yielding sub-micron resolution even if operated in binary mode. Moreover, this approach also offers very substantial advantages in reducing power consumption.
A proof-of-principle demonstrator has been produced in the UMC 65 nm process, featuring pixel variants with pitches ranging from 2 um to 6.5 um. Pulse and alpha particle measurements confirm the circuits operate as intended. Laser measurements have been performed to characterise the charge collection properties of the device, with results demonstrating its potential as a high-resolution laser sensor. Results from this prototype are presented, together with plans for further development and potential applications.