Speaker
Description
Skipper CCDs have emerged as the leading technology for the direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter, combining single-electron sensitivity with low backgrounds. DAMIC-M represents the next major step in scaling this technology, with an array of 104 skipper CCDs comprising nearly one gigapixel of imaging area. Building an array at this scale presented a new challenge for skipper-CCD experiments: consistently packaging, handling, and testing a large number of high-quality devices while maintaining stringent radiopurity requirements. In this talk, I will describe the design of the DAMIC-M CCD array and the production campaign carried out at the University of Washington, including measures to limit cosmogenic activation and radon-induced contamination. The campaign was highly successful, resulting in twenty-six science-grade CCD modules that will be deployed in the DAMIC-M cryostat at the Modane Underground Laboratory by the end of 2026.