Characterization of a novel pixelated Silicon Drift Detector (PixDD) for high-throughput X-ray astrophysics
/ Authors
Y. Evangelista, F. Ambrosino, M. Feroci, P. Bellutti, G. Bertuccio, G. Borghi, R. Campana, M. Caselle, D. Cirrincione, F. Ficorella
and 16 more authors
M. Fiorini, F. Fuschino, M. Gandola, M. Grassi, C. Labanti, P. Malcovati, F. Mele, A. Morbidini, A. Picciotto, A. Rachevski, I. Rashevskaya, M. Sammartini, G. Zampa, N. Zampa, N. Zorzi, A. Vacchi
/ Abstract
Multi-pixel fast silicon detectors represent the enabling technology for the next generation of space-borne experiments devoted to high-resolution spectral-timing studies of low-flux compact cosmic sources. Several imaging detectors based on frame-integration have been developed as focal plane devices for X-ray space-borne missions but, when coupled to large-area concentrator X-ray optics, these detectors are affected by strong pile-up and dead-time effects, thus limiting the time and energy resolution as well as the overall system sensitivity. The current technological gap in the capability to realize pixelated silicon detectors for soft X-rays with fast, photon-by-photon response and nearly Fano-limited energy resolution therefore translates into the unavailability of sparse read-out sensors suitable for high throughput X-ray astronomy applications. In the framework of the ReDSoX Italian collaboration, we developed a new, sparse read-out, pixelated silicon drift detector which operates in the energy range 0.5–15 keV with nearly Fano-limited energy resolution (⩽150 eV FWHM @ 6 keV) at room temperature or with moderate cooling (∼0°C to +20°C). In this paper, we present the design and the laboratory characterization of the first 16-pixel (4 × 4) drift detector prototype (PixDD), read-out by individual ultra low-noise charge sensitive preamplifiers (SIRIO) and we discuss the future PixDD prototype developments.
Journal: Journal of Instrumentation