[en] Two novel pixel sensor concepts for future linear collider applications are presented in this paper: a hybrid pixel sensor characterized by a layout improving the single point resolution and a monolithic detector inspired by silicon on insulator (SOI) technology. The results of charge collection studies for the first prototypes of hybrid pixel sensors with interleaved pixels are reported and the new detector test structures are introduced. The technology and the readout architecture design for SOI sensors are also discussed

[en] A readout circuit dedicated for the detection of the chemiluminescence phenomenon using a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is presented. During chemiluminescence, light is generated as a result of chemical reaction. Chemiluminescence is used in many applications within medicine, chemistry, biology and biotechnology, and is one of the most important sensing techniques in biomedical science and clinical medicine. The front-end electronics consist of a preamplifier and a fast shaper—this produces pulses, the peaking time which is 3.6 ns for a single photon and the FWHM is 3.8 ns. The system has been optimised to measure chemiluminescence—it is sensitive at the level of single photons, it generates a low number of overlapping pulses and is accurate. Two methods of signal detection are analysed and compared: the counting of events and amplitude detection. The relationship between the chemiluminescence light intensity and the concentration of the chemical compound (luminol) is linear in the range of the tested concentrations and has strong linearity parameters and low prediction intervals.

[en] Proposed algorithm compensates the gain by changing the bias voltage of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM). The signal from SiPM is amplified in fully differential preamplifier then is formed in time by the fully differential fast shaper. The compensation method was tested with four channels common cathode multi-pixel photon counter from Hamamatsu. The measurement system requires only one high voltage power supply. The polarization voltage is adjusted individually in each channel indirectly by tuning the output common mode voltage (VOCM) of fully differential amplifier. The changes of VOCM affect the input voltage through the feedback network. Actual gain of the SiPM is calculated by measuring the mean amplitude of the signal resulting from detection of single photoelectron. The VOCM is adjusted by DAC so as to reach the desired value of gain by each channel individually. The advantage of the algorithm is the possibility to set the bias of each SiPM in the array independently so they all could operate in very similar conditions (have similar gain and dark count rate). The algorithm can compensate the variations of gain of SiPM by using thermally generated pulses. There is no need to use additional current to voltage conversion which could introduce extra noises.

[en] The paper presents an implementation of fully differential readout method for Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM). Front-end electronics consists of a fast and slow path. The former creates the trigger signal while the latter produces a pulse of width proportional to the input charge. The fast shaper generates unipolar pulse and utilizes the pole-zero cancelation circuit. The peaking time for single photoelectron is equal to 3.6 ns and the FWHM is 3.8 ns. The pulse width of the Charge to Time Converter (QTC) depends on the number of photons entering the SiPM at the moment of measurement. The QTC response is nonlinear but it allows us to work with signals in a wide dynamic range. The proposed readout method is effective in measurements of random signals where frequent events tend to pile-up. Thermal generation and afterpulses have a strong influence on the width of pulses from QTC. The proposed method enables us to distinguish those overlapping signals and get the reliable information on the number of detected photons.

[en] SUCIMA (Silicon Ultra fast Cameras for electron and γ sources In Medical Applications) is a project approved by the European Commission with the primary goal of developing a real time dosimeter based on direct detection in a Silicon substrate. The main applications, the detector characteristics and technologies and the data acquisition system are described

[en] Real-time dosimetry is a critical issue in most radiotherapy applications. Silicon Ultra fast Cameras for electron and gamma sources In Medical Applications (SUCIMA) is a project addressing the development of an imaging system of extended radioactive sources based on monolithic and hybrid position-sensitive silicon sensors, where 'imaging' has to be intended as the record of a dose map. The detector characteristics are constrained by the main applications, namely brachytherapy and real-time monitoring of a hadron beam for oncology. The key issues in the sensor and DAQ development are described together with the most relevant medical applications. SUCIMA is a project approved by the EC within the V Framework Program

[en] Gain of the silicon photomultiplier is strongly dependent on the value of bias voltage and temperature. This paper proposes a method for gain stabilization just by compensation of temperature fluctuations by bias correction. It has been confirmed that this approach gives good results and the gain can be kept very stable

[en] The paper addresses development of full-size monolithic active pixel detectors exploiting silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology for the integration of a radiation detector and readout electronics in one entity. A general overview of the sensor design is presented and then considerations of the interaction between the readout and sensitive part of the SOI active sensor are discussed. The layout solution used in the design of the full-size prototypes to overcome the problem of the crosstalk between the readout electronics and the detector are reported. Preliminary measurements results of the first full-size prototypes of SOI sensors are also reported

[en] SOI monolithic active pixel sensors are novel ionizing radiation detectors that exploit both device and support layers of the SOI substrate for the integration of the pixel detector and readout electronics in one entity. The concept of such devices was validated in several iterations of production and tests of simple detectors test structures consisting of 64 readout channels. Following the positive results of the measurements of the test structures first large-scale and completely functional prototypes of SOI sensors were designed and manufactured. The paper presents the design aspects and preliminary tests results of the prototypes

[en] This paper describes a monolithic silicon pixel detector for ionizing radiation manufactured using the Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology. In this novel device, the sensor is implemented in a high resistive SOI bottom wafer while the associated CMOS read-out circuits are built in a SOI device layer. Preliminary measurements of simple test detectors are presented. They prove that the detector is working properly showing the typical sensitivity of a fully depleted Silicon detector