3DX: A Micromachined Silicon Crystallographic Detector

描述(申请人提供)：我们建议继续开发“3DX”硅像素阵列探测器，在这种探测器中，衍射X射线直接被捕获到厚的、高电阻率的硅中，通过感应耦合等离子体刻蚀进行微机械加工。每个像素大小为150x150微米，带有一个n型和一个p型电极，并通过导电性(铟)凸点连接到位于传感器后面的cmos读出芯片的相应像素。每个硅传感器是一个64x64像素的阵列(总尺寸：9.6mmx9.6 mm)。在我们的设计中，传感器晶片是非常有效的。因此，这些传感器的重叠阵列没有死角。我们现在已经制造了数百个传感器，测试了其中的许多，它们起作用了。我们现在还学习了凸点键合的艺术，并成功地将传感器与读出芯片连接在一起，没有焊接缺陷。我们已经设计、制造、调试、测试和表征了该读出芯片，该读出芯片从三个侧面保护传感器后面的X射线。读出芯片可以工作，但我们需要纠正设计中的小错误，并在下一个项目期间将其扩展到完整大小。我们的探测器可以识别单独的X射线，但对接近400,000/S/像素的辐射水平仍能线性响应。它的点响应位于单个像素内。连续读出64亩S周期。在项目的下一阶段，我们将制作许多全尺寸的传感器/ASIC模块夹层，设计并制作现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)来控制模块并将其连接到主机，并设计并实现包含控制软件的集成系统。在第三年，我们将制造我们的第一个实用系统：一个专门为生物样品的高速时间分辨小角X射线衍射而设计的小阵列。在4-5年，我们将制造一个用于蛋白质结晶学的大型探测器系统，该系统将包括900-1000个模块，覆盖面积为30厘米x 30厘米。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to continue development of the "3DX" silicon pixel array detector, in which diffracted X rays are captured directly in thick, high-resistivity silicon, micromachined by inductively-coupled plasma etching. Each pixel is 150x150mu m with one n- and one p-type electrode, and it is bonded with a conducting (indium) bump to a corresponding pixel of a CMOS readout chip, located behind the sensor. Each silicon sensor is an array of 64x64 pixels (total size: 9.6mmx9.6mm). In our design the sensor wafer is active to the very edge. Overlapping arrays of these sensors therefore have no dead gaps. We have now fabricated many hundreds of sensors, tested many of them, and they work. We have now also learned the art of bump- bonding, and have succeeded in bonding our sensor to our readout chip without bonding defects. We have designed, fabricated, debugged, tested, and characterized the CMOS readout chip, which is protected from X rays behind the sensor on three sides. The readout chip works, but we need to correct minor bugs in the design, and expand it to full size, during the next project period. Our detector discriminates individual X rays yet responds linearly to radiation levels approaching 400,000/s/pixel. Its point response lies within a single pixel. It reads out continuously with a 64mu s period. During the next stage of the project we will fabricate many full-scale sensor/ASIC module sandwiches, design and make a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to control the module and interface it to a host computer, and design and implement an integrated system that includes controls software. In year 3 we will make our first practical system: a small array designed specifically for high-speed time-resolved small-angle X-ray diffraction of biological samples. In years 4-5 we will make a large detector system for protein crystallography that will incorporate between 900 -1,000 modules and cover an area of 30cm x 30cm.