[Aperitivo Scientifico] Digital SiPMs: Technology Potential and 4D-Tracking Applications

by Gianpiero Vignola (DESY)

Thursday 3 Oct 2024, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Rome

BP-2A (DIFA Berti-Pichat)

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) represent the leading solid-state technology in single-photon detection, widely used as detectors in experimental physics as well as in medical or industrial applications. In recent years, the production of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs), the key element in SiPMs, has developed in commercial CMOS processes, enabling the fabrication of digital SiPMs with custom-designed ASICs. In digital SiPMs, the functionalities of conventional arrays are extended by integrating features such as signal digitisation, masking, full hitmap readout, noise suppression and photon counting in the same chip alongside avalanche diodes, thus simplifying the readout chain and reducing overall power consumption. These new features allow to think of new applications for digital SiPM, such as 4D-tracking of charged particles, where spatial resolutions of the order of SPAD pitch and timestamping with time resolutions of a few tens of ps are required. As an example of the technology’s potential, a digital SiPM prototype designed at DESY using LFoundry’s 150 nm CMOS technology will be presented. The results of characterisations conducted on the prototypes will be described. The performance in MIP detection of bare prototypes and assemblies coupled with thin LYSO crystals will be compared. The status and perspectives of CMOS SPAD arrays will be discussed.

2024-10-03-Bologna_Seminar.pdf