Monolithic cryogenic preamplifiers based on large gate-area GaAs MESFETs

Abstract

Monolithic preamplifiers using large gate-area Gallium-Arsenide Metal-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (GaAs MESFETs) at the input have been designed and fabricated using an ion-implanted GaAs process. Large gate-area is necessary to obtain low series noise. A differential voltage-sensitive preamplifier has at the input two MESFETs with a gate width W=6000 /spl mu/m, it is fully DC coupled, has a large common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) and dissipates low power at 4 K. Dual current-sensitive preamplifiers using at the input MESFETs with W=24000 /spl mu/m, designed for the readout of noble liquid calorimeters, have been integrated in a single chip. Recent tests with a LAr calorimeter prototype demonstrated strong noise reduction compared to previous state-of-the-art hybrid readout circuits. Radiation damage tests have been performed at cold on the current-sensitive preamplifier chips. >