Pulse shape discrimination for GRIT: Beam test of a new integrated charge and current preamplifier coupled with high granularity Silicon detectors

Abstract

The GRIT (Granularity, Resolution, Identification, Transparency) Silicon array is intended to measure direct reactions. Its design is based on several layers (three layers in the forward direction, two backward) of custom-made trapezoidal and square detectors. The first stage is 500 μm thick and features 128 × 128 orthogonal strips. Pulse shape analysis for particle identification is implemented for this first layer. Given the compacity of this array and the large number of channels involved (>7500), an integrated preamplifier, iPACI, that gives charge and current information has been developed in the AMS 0.35 μm BiCMOS technology. The design specifications and results of the test bench are presented. Considering an energy range of 50 MeV and an energy resolution (FWHM) of 12 keV (FWHM) for the preamplifier, the energy resolution for one strip obtained from alpha source measurement in real conditions is 35 keV. The current output bandwidth is measured at 130 MHz for small signals and the power consumption reaches 40 mW per detector channel. A first beam test was performed coupling a nTD trapezoidal double-sided stripped Silicon detector of GRIT with the iPACI preamplifier and a 64-channel digitizer. Z = 1 particles are discriminated with pulse shape analysis technique down to 2 MeV for protons, 2.5 MeV for deuterons and 3 MeV for tritons. The effect of the strip length due to the trapezoidal shape of the detector is investigated on both the N- and the P-side, showing no significant impact.