Development of a Front-end Pixel Chip for Readout of Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors. Vladimir Gromov, Ruud Kluit, Harry van der Graaf. NIKHEF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. TWEPP-08, Naxos, Greece. September 16, 2008.

Outline  Micro-pattern gas detectors: introduction and system requirements.  Prototyping results: time measurement aspects.  Defining the chip specifications.  Summary. V.Gromov2 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGDs). Combination of a gas layer as signal generator with a charge amplification structure and a CMOS readout pixel array. Drift cathode Pixelized anode integrated onto the readout chip. Integrated Grid / Micromegas / GEMs Main feature (RD51 proposal ). - high spatial resolution - high-rate capabilities - radiation hardness - low radiation length - presence of discharges V.Gromov3 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

Front-end Readout Chip for MPGDs. Cluster3 Cathode (drift) plane Integrated Grid Cluster2 Cluster1 Front-end Readout Chip Input pixel System Requirements. - SLHC compatible - high density pixel structure - high efficiency of detecting of single primary electrons - high resolution TDC-per-pixel - a smart architecture of the pixels readout - low power consumption V.Gromov4 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008 1mm … 1m

Timepix Chip (0.25um CMOS) - a full size readout chip with detection area 1.98cm 2 - pixel matrix 256 x 256 pixels of 55 x 55um 2 - allows for measurements of arrival time with 10ns accuracy - 3D reconstruction of particle tracks - an external clock (up to 100MHz) as a time reference (M. Campbell, X. Llopart, CERN, 2006 ). An evolution from the Medipix2 chip within EUDET program. Spiral tracks of low-energy electrons in magnetic field taken by M.Fransen and H. van der Graaf (NIKHEF, Amsterdam) V.Gromov5 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

Low power Time-to-Digital Conversion based on local oscillator. -Time resolution is determined by the frequency (F fast ) and performance of the local oscillator circuit -The local oscillator is active only within restricted time window - Only “slow” Clock signal is being distributed across the chip Low power consumption V.Gromov6 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008 Hit signal Local oscillator output (F fast = 640MHz) Start Stop Clock signal (F slow = 40MHz). Trigger signal Stop N slow N fast Time = N slow / F slow + N fast /F fast Start Stop Local oscillator Pixel_1 Hit Slow Clock Bus Out

V.Gromov 7 read-out pixel array: - sensitive area: 0.88 mm 2 (16 pixels x 16 pixels) - pixel size: 55 um analog front-end: - fast, low-noise (ENC=70 e - ) - low threshold =350 e -, -low-power (2 uW per channel) time measurement: - 40MHz external clock as time reference - high resolution TDC-per-pixel architecture (bin=1.8 ns) -separate TDC block -separate local oscillator circuit -analog monitor block GOSSIPO-2 Chip (0.13um CMOS). (V.Gromov, R. Kluit, NIKHEF, Amsterdam, 2006 ). TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

GOSSIPO-2: Performance of the local oscillator circuit. NAND EN OUT Delay = T fast /2 = Function (Temp, Vdd) EN T fast (1.8 ns) OUT Power supply voltage, Volts Temperature, ◦ C T fast,ns - 12% / 100mV 2% / 10 ◦ C Channel-to-channel statistical spread is 4% Effect of the power supply voltage Effect of the temperature 0ns…T slow (25 ns) 0…15 (4-bit TDC) -If the power supply changes within 50 mV -If the temperature changes within 30 ◦ C Accumulated error will be kept within 6% (1.8 ns or 1 bin of the 4bit TDC) Principle of the local oscillator. V.Gromov8 TWEPP-08 16/09/

GOSSIPO-2: TDC block. Measured time : N slow ● 25ns + N fast ●1.8ns - time resolution is ( T fast ) is 1.8 ns - dynamic range is 4bit (F slow = 40MHz) is 350 ns - power ≈ 0.4 uW (hit rate 100 KHz) delay of the Hit signal, ns Start Stop Local oscillator 600MHz Hit Out In 4bit“slow” clock Counter TDC Control Out In 4bit“fast” clock Counter Out Clock Trigger Read Reset Clock 40MHz Data TDC structure. V.Gromov9 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008 Transition region is about 30 ps!

GOSSIPO-2 chip: charge-sensitive preamplifier. Features - pulse response rise-time is 20 ns - low noise (σ n =70 e - ENC) threshold =350 e Time, ns Threshold =350 e - time jitter / internal delay ≈ 8 ns time jitter / internal delay ≈ 3 ns Time jitter = Rise_time ● 5σ n / Signal Time jitter 4000e - V.Gromov10 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008 ≈ 350 e - ≈ 20ns

GOSSIPO-2 chip: voltage comparator. Features. ∆t min is temperature dependent is power supply voltage dependent takes different values due to channel-to-channel mismatch 1000 Threshold =350 e - Signal size, electrons Delay on the comparator ∆t min V.Gromov11 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008 ∆t min < 1.8ns (bin of TDC)

GOSSIPO-2 chip: pixel functionality. In TDC block Out Read (Trigger) Reset Clock Data Preamp Comp 4bit Threshold DAC Common threshold Data Local threshold Input pad Test pulse Front-end preamp DAC R oscillator & discr. Control reg Latency counter logic TDC LFSR V.Gromov12 TWEPP-08 16/09/ μm

GOSSIPO-2: Time resolution as a function of threshold value. - Low threshold operation (350 e - ) in combination with large signal size (larger than 4000 e - ) will allow for high time resolution (jitter less than 1bin of the TDC = 1.8 ns) Threshold scan. Read (Trigger) signal ∆V(Q in ) Test pulse Measured time Measured time (converted output code), ns 140 time jitter ≈ 4bin ● 1.8 ns = 7.2 ns Threshold voltage, mV Threshold voltage, mV Threshold voltage, mV noise time jitter ≈ 2bin ● 1.8 ns = 3.6 ns time jitter ≈ 1bin ● 1.8 ns = 1.8 ns Signal size = 1200 e - Signal size = 3000 e - Signal size = e - In TDC block Out Read (Trigger) Reset Clock Data Front-end Threshold Test pulse Pixel cell structure. V.Gromov13 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

GOSSIPO-2:Time scan. Read (Trigger) signal ∆V(Q in >4000e - ) Test pulse Measured time In TDC block Out Read (Trigger) Reset Clock Data Front-end Threshold (350e - ) Test pulse Pixel cell structure. Delay of the test pulse, ns transition region ≈ 1 ns Measured time (converted output code) [ns] Measured time as a function of the delay of the test pulse. Large signal (> 4000 e - ) and low threshold operation (350 e - ) delay - The complete read-out chain demonstrates good time resolution (transition region is 1ns) when the threshold is low (350e - ) and the input signal is large (>4000e - ) V.Gromov14 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

GOSSIPO-2:Time scan. Delay of the test pulse, ns Time [ns] V.Gromov15 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008 Low threshold operation (350 e - ) Signal = 3000 e - Signal = 1200 e - Signal > 4000 e Delay of the test pulse, ns

Timepix-2 chip Customers: future tracking detectors groups (TPCs, GOSSIP, large-area drift chambers), Medipix3 community, silicon vertex pixel detectors. Designers: CERN, NIKHEF, Bonn, Saclay Technology: IBM 0.13 um CMOS (engineering run cost ~ €) Power: ~ 0.5W/cm 2 Dimensions: - total sensitive area: 14mm x 14mm (1.98cm 2 ) - pixel pitch: 55um x55um - array: 256 x 256 Functionality: - single pixel operation only - noise ~ 70e - RMS - threshold < 400e - (spread ~ 40e - ) - TDC-per-pixel - hit timestamp 4000e - ) - TDC dynamic range (under discussion) - analog information ToT / Dual Threshold (under discussion) - local (on-pixel) memory (multiple hits) Readout: - external 40MHz clock - data taking and data readout are independent and run in parallel - fast serial link (≥1Gb/s) Modes: - all pixel readout (time frame based) with zero suppression - readout of the data associated with a specific BX (external clock number) - event driven readout (fast OR) 55μm 256pixels · 55μm =1.4cm Readout chip V.Gromov16 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

Summary.  A new front-end chip is required for readout of micro-pattern gas detectors (MPGDs).  It should be also suitable for detectors employing Si sensors.  A number of prototypes have been fabricated in order to testify performances of some basic circuits.  The TDC per pixel with local oscillator satisfies the design requirements: low power consumption (0.4uW/channel with 100kHz hit rate), high time resolution (1.8 ns bin) and simplicity.  Low threshold (350 e - ) and fast peaking time (20 ns) enable for high quality drift time measurements (jitters 1.8 ns) at large input signals (>4000 e - ) and after accurate threshold equalization.  We work on technical specifications and defining structure of the chip. V.Gromov17 TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

V.Gromov Correlation between ToT and TtT values. Threshold is 350 electrons, noise sigma is 70 electrons, time constants of the weighting function of readout electronics are  1=15ns and  2=20ns. Optimistic approach Time-over-Threshold (ToT), ns Time-to-Threshold (TtT), ns 100% correlation !!! Can be true ??? Pessimistic approach and Realistic approach Time-to-Threshold (TtT), ns Time-over-Threshold (ToT), ns Correlation is very poor. Pessimistic approach is a quite appropriate method to estimate correlation between ToT and TtT. TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

V.Gromov19 Shape of the input current. Single-electron current in the detector Integral of current induced by a single electron. time,ns I in (t) electron component ion component 10% is electron contribution to the overall charge 90% is ion contribution to the overall charge I in (t) - input current : Ion current occurs in the Micromegas-pad gap in the period ∆t ion = (∆L) 2 /μ U ≈ 30ns, where ∆L ≈ 50um is the Micromegas-pad distance U ≈ 400V is Micromegas-pad voltage μ= 1.72cm 2 V -1 sec -1 is mobility of ions in Argon charge collection time is about ∆t ion =30ns TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

Correlation between the value of ToT and the number of electrons in a single-electron avalanche. Threshold is 350 electrons, noise sigma is 70 electrons, time constants of the weighting function of readout electronics are  1=15ns and  2=20ns. Pessimistic approach. Time-over-Threshold (ToT), ns Number of electrons in a single-electron avalanche Gas gain = 2000 Gas gain = 4000 Gas gain = 8000 V.Gromov TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

V.Gromov Single electron drift time resolution based on TtT statistics. Threshold is 350 electrons, noise sigma is 70 electrons, time constants of the weighting function of readout electronics are  1=15ns and  2=20ns. Pessimistic approach. time, ns Entries Gas Gain =8000 Inefficiency = 0.4% Gas Gain =4000 Inefficiency = 1.3% Gas Gain =2000 Inefficiency = 5% Gas Gain =8000 Inefficiency = 10% Gas Gain =4000 Inefficiency = 27% Gas Gain =2000 Inefficiency = 60% No signal selection: Each signal larger than the threshold (350e) is taken into account. Signal selection is made on the basis of ToT information: Only signals with ToT values larger than 100ns (2000e) are taken into account. TWEPP-08 16/09/2008

Additional slide. Protection against discharges. Metal layer LM Metal layer TD Polymide Oxide High Resistive Amorphous Silicon 20um 3um Layout of the input pad R fb C p-sub ≈ 10fF Q discharge Output A C p-grid ≈ 0.5fF R prot ≈ 1MΩ - protective resistor causes neither signal distortion nor noise increase as long as R prot ●C p-grid is less than 1ns. V.Gromov TWEPP-08 16/09/2008