Large dynamic range 64-channel ASIC for CZT or CdTe detectors

We present a customized 64-channel ASIC, named ALIX, developed in a 0.8 mum CMOS technology. This circuit is dedicated to measure charges from semi-conductor X-ray detectors like Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) or Cadmium Telluride CdTe. The specificity of ALIX is to be able to measure charges over a very large dynamic range (from 10 fC to 3 nC), and to store eight measurements in a very short time (from every 250 ns to a few ms). Up to eight images are stored inside the ASIC and each image can be read out in 64 mus. A new acquisition sequence can then be started. Two analog readouts are available, one for the X-ray signal and one for the offset and afterglow measurement in case of pulsed X-rays. The outputs are converted into digital values by two off-chip 14 bits Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC). A first version of ALIX has been tested with CZT and CdTe detectors under high-energy pulsed X-ray photons (20 MeV, 60 ns pulses every 250 ns). We will present the different results of linearity and signal-to-noise ratio. A second version of ALIX has been designed with some corrections. Electrical tests performed on 85 ASICS showed that the corrections were successful. We are now able to integrate them behind a 64 x 32 pixels 1 mm pitch CZT detector. Such an ASIC could also be used for strip detectors where a large dynamic range and a fast response are necessary. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.