We have been developing monolithic active pixel sensors, X-ray Astronomy SOI pixel sensors, XRPIXs, based on a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) CMOS technology as soft X-ray sensors for a future Japanese mission, FORCE (Focusing On Relativistic universe and Cosmic Evolution). The mission is characterized by broadband (1-80 keV) X-ray imaging spectroscopy with high angular resolution (< 15 arcsec), with which we can achieve about ten times higher sensitivity in comparison to the previous missions above 10 keV. Immediate readout of only those pixels hit by an X-ray is available by an event trigger output function implemented in each pixel with the time resolution higher than 10 µsec (Event-Driven readout mode). It allows us to do fast timing observation and also reduces non-X-ray background dominating at a high X-ray energy band above 5{10 keV by adopting an anti-coincidence technique. In this paper, we introduce our latest results from the developments of the XRPIXs. (1) We successfully developed a 3-side buttable back-side illumination device with an imaging area size of 21.9 mm x 13.8 mm and an pixel size of 36 µm x 36 µm. The X-ray throughput with the device reaches higher than 0.57 kHz in the Event-Driven readout mode. (2) We developed a device using the double SOI structure and found that the structure improves the spectral performance in the Event-Driven readout mode by suppressing the capacitive coupling interference between the sensor and circuit layers. (3) We also developed a new device equipped with the Pinned Depleted Diode structure and confirmed that the structure reduces the dark current generated at the interface region between the sensor and the SiO2 insulator layers. The device shows an energy resolution of 216 eV in FWHM at 6.4 keV in the Event-Driven readout mode. .
This paper presents a low-noise wide-dynamic-range pixel design for a high-energy particle detector in astronomical applications. A silicon on insulator (SOI) based detector is used for the detection of wide energy range of high energy particles (mainly for X-ray). The sensor has a thin layer of SOI CMOS readout circuitry and a thick layer of high-resistivity detector vertically stacked in a single chip. Pixel circuits are divided into two parts; signal sensing circuit and event detection circuit. The event detection circuit consisting of a comparator and logic circuits which detect the incidence of high energy particle categorizes the incident photon it into two energy groups using an appropriate energy threshold and generate a two-bit code for an event and energy level. The code for energy level is then used for selection of the gain of the in-pixel amplifier for the detected signal, providing a function of high-dynamic-range signal measurement. The two-bit code for the event and energy level is scanned in the event scanning block and the signals from the hit pixels only are read out. The variable-gain in-pixel amplifier uses a continuous integrator and integration-time control for the variable gain. The proposed design allows the small signal detection and wide dynamic range due to the adaptive gain technique and capability of correlated double sampling (CDS) technique of kTC noise canceling of the charge detector.
We have been developing monolithic active pixel sensors, known as Kyoto’s X-ray SOIPIXs, based on the CMOS SOI (silicon-on-insulator) technology for next-generation X-ray astronomy satellites. The event trigger output function implemented in each pixel offers microsecond time resolution and enables reduction of the non-X-ray background that dominates the high X-ray energy band above 5–10 keV. A fully depleted SOI with a thick depletion layer and back illumination offers wide band coverage of 0.3–40 keV. Here, we report recent progress in the X-ray SOIPIX development. In this study, we achieved an energy resolution of 300 eV (FWHM) at 6 keV and a read-out noise of 33 e- (rms) in the frame readout mode, which allows us to clearly resolve Mn-Kα and Kβ. Moreover, we produced a fully depleted layer with a thickness of 500 μm. The event-driven readout mode has already been successfully demonstrated.
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