Development of a Pulse Shape Discrimination CMOS ASIC

（核）相互作用的一个特征是结合原子核并支持大型（中子星），但人们对这个特征知之甚少。这一特征是当中子-质子比远远大于1时，结合如何随物质密度的变化而变化。例如，当中子比质子多得多的时候。（中子星）质量的测定，以及对核间地球碰撞动力学的实验室测量，可以帮助确定这种未知的依赖关系。我们从事的是后一种研究。我们的实验需要大量的探测器。其中一些检测器阵列只需要在每个检测器元件中沉积能量，以及能量沉积何时发生。我们设计、制造并投入使用了一个微芯片（用CMOS技术制造），大大简化了从大型探测器阵列获取这些数据的过程。然而，我们的实验还需要探测器提供的不仅仅是能量和时间信息。其中一些探测器系统需要粒子识别以及总脉冲高度（能量）和时间信息。粒子识别（例如，质子或α粒子）信息编码为来自探测器元件的脉冲形状的时间依赖性。该提案将创建一个集成电路，补充我们现有的电路，它将能够进行粒子类型识别所需的脉冲形状识别（PSD）。脉冲形状的CMOS芯片从未被制造出来；然而，设计这样一个芯片所需的额外工程努力（建立在我们以前的芯片上）是适度的，在两年的拨款范围内。在这笔拨款的两年内，我们将：(1)设计集成电路，(2)建立原型，(3)将其纳入工作系统并在我们的下一个实验中使用，(4)制作“生产芯片”，(5)将测试台分发给其他感兴趣的团体。通过上述工作，我们将为辐射检测仪器的CMOS ASIC“工具箱”添加强大的新功能，从而使具有脉冲形状重要信息的大型探测器阵列更具成本效益。我们还将培养几名混合信号、CMOS设计方面的研究生和本科生。

There is one feature of the (nuclear) interaction that binds nuclei and supports large (neutron) stars which is poorly understood. This feature is how the binding changes with the density of the matter when the neutron-proton ratio is far different than one. For example, when there are far more neutrons than protons. Determination of the masses of (neutron) stars, as well as laboratory measurements of the dynamics of terrestrial collisions between nuclei can help determine this unknown dependence. We are involved in the latter type of research. Our experiments require large arrays of detectors. Some of these detector arrays only require the energy deposited in each detector element and when in time the energy deposit occurred. We have designed, constructed and put into operation a micro-chip (fabricated with CMOS technology) which greatly simplifies acquiring these data from large detector arrays. However, our experiments also require detectors which provide more than just energy and time information. Some of these detector systems require particle identification as well as total pulse-height (energy) and time information. The particle identification (for example, proton or alpha particle) information is encoded in the time dependence of the pulse shape from the detector elements. This proposal will create an integrated circuit, complementing our existing one, which will capable of doing the pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) required for particle type identification. A pulse-shape capable CMOS chip has never been made; however, the additional engineering effort (building on our previous chip) required to design such a chip is modest and within the scope of a two year grant.Within the two years of this grant we will: (1) design the integrated circuit, (2) build a prototype, (3) incorporate it into a working system and use it in our next experiment, (4) make a "production chip", and (5) distribute test stations to other interested groups. In doing the above, we will add a powerful new capability to the CMOS ASIC "tool box" for radiation detection instrumentation and thus make large detectors arrays with important information in the pulse shape more cost effective. We will also train several graduate and undergraduate students in mixed-signal, CMOS design.