Applications of silicon strip and pixel-based particle tracking detectors

Abstract

As the review of the European particle physics strategy is underway and planned future particle accelerators are being discussed worldwide, new, improved silicon tracking detector concepts are currently being studied for use at the proposed new facilities. This Technical Review outlines the current state of the art in silicon tracking detectors for particle physics along with examples of some recent applications in other areas. The various technologies currently available in particle physics are listed and their relative merits for different uses and environments are discussed. The silicon detector research programmes to allow optimal scientific returns from future particle physics experiments are described along with their current status.Advances in semiconductor technologies have enabled the development of numerous designs of silicon tracking detectors in particle physics. This Technical Review outlines the current state-of-the-art technologies and discusses challenges, future directions and some of the recent applications outside particle physics.Key pointsParticle physics experiments depend on the ability to accurately track the paths of particles produced in high-energy collisions.Frontier experiments demand ever higher collision rates both to maximize sensitivity to rare processes and subtle effects, and to minimize the statistical errors on measurements.The high-rate capability, tracking precision, sensor granularity, readout speed and radiation resistance of the current generation of silicon detectors has led to their widespread adoption, particularly in collider experiments (which typically require the most demanding specifications).New technologies are emerging, both from within particle physics and through the design of specialist variants of commercial optical sensors, which offer significant improvements in terms of particle-track spatial resolution, fast-timing capability, detector radiation hardness, scattering material and cost per unit area.Other disciplines that already use particle physics silicon tracking technologies can only benefit from adopting these developments as they become available.