A versatile high-speed bipolar charge-sensitive preamplifier for calorimeter applications

A high-speed charge-sensitive preamplifier (CSP) to be used in silicon calorimeters has been realized, The main features of this circuit are: high slew rate (larger than 500 V/mu s), low noise, large output swing (5 V), high dynamic range (of the order of 90 dB), and 50-Ohm output drive capability, In addition, the CSP is designed to allow adaptation of its power-versus-noise performance to different experimental conditions, The bias current of the input device can be adjusted with an external component, in order to optimize the tradeoff between power consumption and noise, The power supply can be set in the 3.3-12-V range, optimizing the power dissipation over output swing ratio. The CSP was realized in a bipolar technology whose bipolar transistors have been previously tested before and after being subjected to irradiation, The results were taken into account in the design in order to achieve CSP radiation-hard performance.