Evaluation of Kyoto’s event-driven X-ray astronomical SOI pixel sensor with a large imaging area

Abstract

We have been developing monolithic active pixel sensors, named “XRPIX”, based on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) pixel technology for future X-ray astronomy satellites. XRPIX has the function of event trigger and hit address outputs. This function allows us to read out analog signals only of hit pixels on trigger timing, which is referred to as the event-driven readout mode. Recently, we processed “XRPIX5b” with the largest imaging area of 21.9 mm × 13.8 mm in the XRPIX series. X-ray spectra are successfully obtained from all the pixels, and the readout noise is 46 e− (rms) in the frame readout mode. The gain variation was measured to be 1.2% (FWHM) among the pixels. We successfully obtain the X-ray image in the event-driven readout mode.