Novel active signal compression in low-noise analog readout at future X-ray FEL facilities

Manghisoni, M.; Comotti, D.; Gaioni, L.; Lodola, L.; Ratti, L.; Re, V.; Traversi, G.; Vacchi, C.

doi:10.1088/1748-0221/10/04/c04003

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The third pixel front-end fabricated and tested relies on a charge removal method based on the flipped capacitor filter described in [9]. The capacitor flipping pixel integrator uses two equally sized integration capacitors connected in parallel, depicted in figure 4.…”

Section: Capacitor Flipping Charge Removalmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Dynamic Range X-Ray Detector Pixel Architectures Utilizing Charge Removal

Weiss

Shanks

Philipp

et al. 2017

IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

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Abstract-Several charge integrating CMOS pixel front-ends utilizing charge removal techniques have been fabricated to extend dynamic range for x-ray diffraction applications at synchrotron sources and x-ray free electron lasers (XFELs). The pixels described herein build on the Mixed Mode Pixel Array Detector (MM-PAD) framework, developed previously by our group to perform high dynamic range imaging. These new pixels boast several orders of magnitude improvement in maximum flux over the MM-PAD, which is capable of measuring a sustained flux in excess of 10 8 x-rays/pixel/second while maintaining sensitivity to smaller signals, down to single x-rays. To extend dynamic range, charge is removed from the integration node of the frontend amplifier without interrupting integration. The number of times this process occurs is recorded by a digital counter in the pixel. The parameter limiting full well is thereby shifted from the size of an integration capacitor to the depth of a digital counter. The result is similar to that achieved by counting pixel array detectors, but the integrators presented here are designed to tolerate a sustained flux >10 11 x-rays/pixel/second. Pixel front-end linearity was evaluated by direct current injection and results are presented. A small-scale readout ASIC utilizing these pixel architectures has been fabricated and the use of these architectures to increase single x-ray pulse dynamic range at XFELs is discussed briefly.

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Section: Capacitor Flipping Charge Removalmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Dynamic Range X-Ray Detector Pixel Architectures Utilizing Charge Removal

Weiss

Shanks

Philipp

et al. 2017

IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

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“…The full front-end channel, schematically shown in figure 4, is described in details in [11]. It includes the CSA, a transconductor for voltage-to-current conversion, a time-variant filter realizing a trapezoidal weighting function and a 10-bit SAR ADC.…”

Section: Front-end Electronics and Multi-layer (3d) System Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The low noise front-end channel with wide input dynamic range is implementing a novel signal compression technique [11] based on the non-linear capacitance of a MOS used in the feedback network of the charge sensitive preamplifier (CSA), as shown in figure 4. The gain of the CSA is proportional to the inverse of the feed-back capacitance between the gate of the MOSFET and its source and drain, shorted together.…”

Section: Active Edge Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The PixFEL project: development of advanced X-ray pixel detectors for application at future FEL facilities

et al. 2015

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The PixFEL project aims to develop an advanced X-ray camera for imaging suited for the demanding requirements of next generation free electron laser (FEL) facilities. New technologies can be deployed to boost the performance of imaging detectors as well as future pixel devices for tracking. In the first phase of the PixFEL project, approved by the INFN, the focus will be on the development of the microelectronic building blocks, carried out with a 65 nm CMOS technology, implementing a low noise analog front-end channel with high dynamic range and compression features, a low power ADC and high density memory. At the same time PixFEL will investigate and implement some of the enabling technologies to assembly a seamless large area X-ray camera composed by a matrix of multilayer four-side buttable tiles. A pixel matrix with active edge will be developed to minimize the dead area of the sensor layer. Vertical interconnection of two CMOS tiers will be explored to build a four-side buttable readout chip with small pixel pitch and all the on-board required functionalities. The ambitious target requirements of the new pixel device are: single photon resolution, 1 to 10 4 photons @ 1 keV to 10 keV input dynamic range, 10-bit analog to digital conversion up to 5 MHz, 1 kevent in-pixel memory and 100 µm pixel pitch. The long term goal of PixFEL will be the development of a versatile X-ray camera to be operated either in burst mode (European XFEL), or in continuous mode to cope with the high frame rates foreseen for the upgrade phase of the LCLS-II at SLAC.

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