Depleted Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (DMAPS) implemented in LF-150 nm CMOS technology

Abstract

We present the recent development of Depleted Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (DMAPS), implemented with an LFoundry (LF) 150 nm CMOS process. MAPS detectors based on an epi-layer have been matured in recent years and have attractive features in terms of reducing material budget and handling cost compared to conventional hybrid pixel detectors. However, the obtained signal is relatively small (∼1000 e−) due to the thin epi-layer, and charge collection time is relatively slow, e.g., in the order of 100 ns, because charges are mainly collected by diffusion. Modern commercial CMOS technology, however, offers advanced process options to overcome such difficulties and enable truly monolithic devices as an alternative to hybrid pixel sensors and charge coupled devices. Unlike in the case of the standard MAPS technologies with epi-layers, the LF process provides a high-resistivity substrate that enables large signal and fast charge collection by drift in a ∼50 μm thick depleted layer. Since this process also enables the use of deep n- and p-wells to isolate the collection electrode from the thin active device layer, PMOS and NMOS transistors are available for the readout electronics in each pixel cell. In order to evaluate the sensor and transistor characteristics, several collection electrodes variants and readout architectures have been implemented. In this report, we focus on its design aspect of the LF-DMAPS prototype chip.