Nicolo Cartiglia

TOFFEE: a full custom amplifier-comparator chip for timing applications with silicon detectors

We report on the design of a full custom amplifier-comparator readout chip for silicon detectors with internal gain designed for precise timing applications. The ASIC has been developed in UMC 110 nm CMOS technology and is aimed to fulfill the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (CT-PPS) time resolution requirements (~ 30 ps per detector plane). It features LVDS outputs and the signal dynamic range matches the requirements of the High Precision TDC (HPTDC) system. The preliminary measurements results with a test board are included.

Innovative thin silicon detectors for monitoring of therapeutic proton beams: Preliminary beam tests

To fully exploit the physics potentials of particle therapy in delivering dose with high accuracy and selectivity, charged particle therapy needs further improvement. To this scope, a multidisciplinary project (MoVeIT) of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) aims at translating research in charged particle therapy into clinical outcome. New models in the treatment planning system are being developed and validated, using dedicated devices for beam characterization and monitoring in radiobiological and clinical irradiations. Innovative silicon detectors with internal gain layer (LGAD) represent a promising option, overcoming the limits of currently used ionization chambers. Two devices are being developed: one to directly count individual protons at high rates, exploiting the large signal-to-noise ratio and fast collection time in small thicknesses (1 ns in 50 μm) of LGADs, the second to measure the beam energy with time-of-flight techniques, using LGADs optimized for excellent time resolutions (Ultra Fast Silicon Detectors, UFSDs). The preliminary results of first beam tests with therapeutic beam will be presented and discussed.

Temperature dependence of the response of ultra fast silicon detectors

The Ultra Fast Silicon Detectors (UFSD) are a novel concept of silicon detectors based on the Low Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) technology, which are able to obtain time resolution of the order of few tens of picoseconds. First prototypes with different geometries (pads/pixels/strips), thickness (300 and 50 μm) and gain (between 5 and 20) have been recently designed and manufactured by CNM (Centro Nacional de Microelectronica, Barcelona) and FBK (Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento). Several measurements on these devices have been performed in laboratory and in beam test and a dependence of the gain on the temperature has been observed. Some of the first measurements will be shown (leakage current, breakdown voltage, gain and time resolution on the 300 μm from FBK and gain on the 50 μm-thick sensor from CNM) and a comparison with the theoretically predicted trend will be discussed.

Developments and first measurements of Ultra-Fast Silicon Detectors produced at FBK

Segmented silicon sensors with internal gain, the so called Ultra-FAST Silicon Detectors (UFSD), have been produced at FBK for the first time. UFSD are based on the concept of Low-Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGAD), which are silicon detectors with an internal, low multiplication mechanism (gain ~ 10). This production houses two main type of devices: one type where the gain layer is on the same side of the read-out electrodes, the other type where the gain layer is on the side opposite to the pixellated electrodes (reverse-LGAD). Several technological splits have been included in the first production run, with the aim to tune the implantation dose of the multiplication layer, which controls the gain value of the detector. An extended testing on the wafers has been performed and the results are in line with simulations: the fabricated detectors show good performances, with breakdown voltages above 1000 Volts, and gain values in the range of 5–60 depending on the technological split. The detectors timing resolution has been measured by means of a laboratory setup based on an IR picosecond laser. The sample with higher gain shows time resolution of 55 ps at high reverse bias voltage, indicating very promising performance for future particle tracking applications.

The drift chamber electronics for the NA48 experiment

A drift chamber readout electronics for about 8000 channels with concurrent data recording and readout has been developed to update NA48 experiment existing system. Drift times are measured in bins of 1.56 ns with respect to the continuously running 40 MHz experiment clock. The architecture is based on commercially available hardware for cost effectiveness and flexibility. The design of the electronics is described, and results from data-taking runs are presented.

Laboratory and beam test results of TOFFEE ASIC and ultra fast silicon detectors

In this report we present measurements performed on the full custom ASIC TOFFEE, designed to pre-amplify and discriminate signals of Ultra Fast Silicon Detectors. The ASIC has been characterized in laboratory with custom test boards, and with infrared laser light hitting the sensor emulating a minimum ionizing particle signal. Laser measurements show that a jitter term better than 50 (40) ps is achievable with a 10 (12) fC input charge. We also present some preliminary results on the TOFFEE performances, as obtained during recent beam tests with a 180 GeV/c pion beam, on the SPS-H8 beam line at CERN.

TOFFEE: A fully custom amplifier-comparator chip for silicon detectors with internal gain

We report on the design and tests results of a fully custom amplifier-comparator readout chip designed to be coupled to silicon detectors with internal charge multiplication for precise timing applications. The ASIC has been developed in UMC 110nm CMOS technology and aims to fulfill the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (CT-PPS) time resolution requirements (∼30 ps per detector plane). Both LVDS outputs and the signal dynamic range match the requirements of the High Precision TDC (HPTDC) system. Noise and signal amplitude measurements with a test board are included.

Search for CP-violation in KS → 3 π 0 decays with the NA48 detector

The decay KS → 3 π 0 is forbidden by CP conservation. Using a sample of more than 6 million K → 3 π 0 decays, the NA48 Collaboration has improved the limit on η000 = A(KS → 3 π 0)/A(KL → 3 π 0) and on the branching ratio Br(KS → 3 π 0) by about one order of magnitude. Using this result and the Bell-Steinberger relation, a new limit on the equality of the K0 and

Design optimization of ultra-fast silicon detectors

\rm \bar{K}^{0}

Ultra-fast silicon detectors

masses is obtained improving by about 40% the test of CPT conservation in the mixing of neutral kaons.