Silicon Photomultiplier-Based Multi-Channel Gamma Ray Detector Using the Dynamic Time-Over-Threshold Method

Abstract

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), which are a relatively new type of photon detector, have received more attention in the fields of nuclear medicine and high-energy physics because of their compactness and high gain up to 106. In this work, a SiPM-based multi-channel gamma ray detector with individual read out based on the dynamic time-over-threshold (dToT) method is implemented and demonstrated as an elemental material for large-area gamma ray imager applications. The detector consists of 64 channels of KETEK SiPM PM6660 (6 × 6 mm2 containing 10,000 micro-cells of 60 × 60 μm2) coupled to an 8 × 8 array of high-energy resolution Gd3(Al,Ga)5O12(Ce) (HR-GAGG) crystals (10 × 10 × 10 mm3) segmented by a 1 mm thick BaSO4 reflector. To produce a digital pulse containing linear energy information, the dToT-based read-out circuit consists of a CR-RC shaping amplifier (2.2 μs) and comparator with a feedback component. By modelling the pulse of the SiPM, the light output, and the CR-RC shaping amplifier, the integral-non-linearity (INL) was numerically calculated in terms of the delay time and the time constant of dynamic threshold movement. The experimental results of the averaged INL and energy resolution were 5.8±1.6% and the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of 7.4±0.9% at 662 keV, respectively. The 64-channel single-mode detector module was successfully implemented, demonstrating potential for its use as an elemental material for large-area gamma ray imaging applications.