Research advances on X-ray pixel detectors

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">Advanced light sources, represented by synchrotron radiation facilities, are important platforms for multi-discipline research. Several large-scale scientific facilities are under construction or being scheduled, including the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS), Shanghai high repetition rate XFEL and extreme light facility (SHINE), Hefei Light Source, and so on. This shows that they are the strategic directions from the national demands. However, detector technologies of the light source beamlines became the bottleneck problem for a long time. Among them, the X-ray pixel detector is a typical representative. Unfortunately, systematic studies were fully blank in this field in China before, and products were totally foreign-monopolized. To break through the dilemma, Wei Wei and his team made pioneer studies in the X-ray pixel detector field in China, and achieved two stages of key results through long-term research. (1) Realized the breakthrough and filled in the blanks in the field of high-end detectors for synchrotron radiation: Brought out the first domestic silicon pixel detector prototype machine, while the performance of the full system reached the level of advanced international products; the sub-project successfully passed the national acceptance inspection of HEPS-TF (High Energy Photon Source-Test Facility); the detector has been delivered for customer applications, while customers’ achievements have already begun to emerge. During the development work, key techniques of pixel detectors have been broken through, especially the techniques of pixel IC chips, sensors, and advanced packaging. Meanwhile, key technology localization has also been achieved and various innovations have been made. This proved the work generally solved the problem of “being strangled” in the field of pixel detectors. (2) Aiming at the international frontier: Led the development of the fine pitch pixel detector. Its spatial resolution reached the same level as the state-of-the-art research of the world, and filled in the blanks in the domestic field; Wei Wei proposed a novel 4-D detection mode and implemented it in the field of synchrotron radiation for the first time; a series of prototype chips were successfully developed for large-scale scientific facilities including vertex detectors for particle physics experiments, free-electron lasers, and so on. The work preliminarily realized “paralleling” with international studies while promoted from “pursuing”. The breakthrough of those key technologies can make beamlines in future light sources capable to realize customized detector design. Therefore, the restrictions from foreign products can be freed and a large number of national funds can be saved. Moreover, it also makes it possible to promote the beamline capabilities, or even explore brand new experimental methodologies to realize original innovations.