A large, 64-pixel PIN-diode detector for low-energy beta-electrons

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 568; no. 1; pp. 382 - 387
• Main Authors: Wüstling, Sascha, Armbrust, Torsten, Steidl, Markus, Zadorozhny, Sergeij
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30-11-2006
• Subjects: Electron detector; Low-noise preamplifier; Multi-channel readout; Multi-pixel detector; Segmented PIN diode; Silicon PIN detector; Segmented PIN diode; Electron detector; 29.30.Aj; Multi-pixel detector; 29.30.Dn; Low-noise preamplifier; Multi-channel readout; Silicon PIN detector; 29.40.Wk
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2006.06.029

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) neutrino mass experiment is based on a precise energy measurement
(
Δ
E
/
E
=
5
×
1
0
-
5
)
of electrons emerging from tritium beta decay
(
E
max
=
18.6
keV
)
. This is done by a large electrostatic retarding spectrometer, which is followed by an electron detector. Key requirements for this detector are a large sensitive area (∼80
cm
2), a certain energy resolution (
Δ
E
=
600
eV
at 18.6
keV) but also a certain spatial resolution (∼3
mm) which leads to a multi-pixel design. We present as a tentative design a detector system with a reduced size (16
cm
2) and a reduced pixel number (64), making use of a monolithic segmented silicon PIN diode. Apart from a description of the electronic design, very first results are presented showing the capability of this detector technology to detect electrons from Tritium
β-decay on a large entry window.