TPA-TCT analysis of the RD50-MPW4 monolithic pixel particle detector

Abstract

The RD50-MPW4, a Depleted Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (DMAPS) was analyzed using a Two Photon Absorption Transient Current Technique (TPA-TCT). This technique provides sensitivity maps with micrometer-scale spatial resolution, enabling the resolution of the boundaries of the detector's sensitive volume, even for small-area pixels (62 x 62 $\mu$m$^2$ in this study). With a 3D resolution, the depletion depth, the boundaries of the detector electric field, the 3D hit detection efficiency and the charge sharing between neighboring pixels were measured. The RD50-MPW4, a multi-project wafer chip developed by the HV-CMOS working group within the CERN RD50 collaboration, features a 64 x 64 DMAPS pixel matrix. Illuminating the chip from the backside, the TPA-TCT technique can characterize any pixel element in the matrix because silicon is transparent for near infrared laser light (1550 nm). Electron-hole pairs are generated only around the light focal point, deep in the silicon, so that any charge collected is precisely only from the focal point. With the TPA-TCT technique, the RD50-MPW4 was found to be have a 100% hit detection efficiency under specified conditions and an effective depletion depth of 226 $\mu$m. It was also found that part of the charge in the periphery of the pixel was collected in the neighboring pixel. A 3D map of the sensor clearly shows the in-pixel electronics and the limits of the depletion region.