LNS Activity Report 2003

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING FROM CHIMERA:

PULSE SHAPE ACQUISITION FOR CHARGE DISCRIMINATION
IN REVERSED SILICON DETECTORS

M.Alderighia, A.Anzaloneb, R.Bassinic, C.Boianoc, G.Cardellad, S.Cavallarob, E.DeFilippod, E.Geracif, F.Giustolisib,

P.Guazzonic,*, E.Laguidarab, G.Lanzanòd, G.Lanzaloneb, A.Paganod, M.Papad, S.Pirroned, G.Politid, F. Portob,
S.Russoc, M.Sassic, G.Sechia, L.Zettac.

a) INFN and IASF-CNR, Milano - Italy

b) LNS and Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Catania - Italy
c) Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Milano and INFN - Italy
d) INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Catania - Italy
e) INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Bologna - Italy
* Corresponding author, e-mail: paolo.guazzoni@mi.infn.it

Abstract
A 100 Msamples/s 14-bit Sampling Analog-to-Digital converter has been used to perform digital pulse-
shape acquisition of signals collected from CHIMERA telescopes. The signals from a typical CHIMERA
detection cell have been collected using a very simple analog front end, basically reduced to the preamplifier.
The preliminary on-beam results for Charge Discrimination in Reversed Silicon Detectors are presented in
this contribution.

ions. The sensitivity of the pulse shape to length and

1 INTRODUCTION
Aim of this series of contributions is to present a
digital signal processing method which is able to fully
exploit the performance of last generation 4 -Detector
Arrays, with an additional advantage of a possible big
reduction of the realization costs. In order to simplify
the electronic chain of multidetector telescopes, we have
carried out some tests using commercial Sampling
Analog-to-Digital Converter (SADC) modules to
perform a real-time digital pulse-shape analysis of the
signals coming from a standard detection cell of
CHIMERA (i.e. a telescope of a 300 µm silicon detector
and a 6x6x12 cm3 CsI(Tl) scintillator coupled to a
photodiode), directly collecting signals from the
preamplifier. The preliminary on-beam results for
Charge Discrimination in Reversed Silicon Detectors
are presented in this contribution.
2 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Using the same electronic chain and the same
hardware platform and software procedure of the
previous contribution, describing the (!E,Fast) scatter
plots acquisition, we have also evaluated the possibility
of charge identification for the reaction products
stopping in the silicon detector of a CHIMERA cell,
mounted in reverse mode, i.e. with the reaction products
entering the back side of the silicon.
It is well known that the pulse shape of solid state
detectors depends on the density and the spatial
distribution of charge carriers generated by the detected
density of ionization tracks – and thus to mass, charge,
and energy of the detected ions – depends essentially on
plasma and charge-carrier-drifting effects. By using
charge-sensitive preamplifiers, the total charge-
collection time (plasma erosion-time plus charge
carriers drift-time) corresponds to the rise time of the
output signals.
Consequently (see e.g. ref. [1] and references therein)
the shape of the signals, and in particular their rise-time
and height, can be used for particle identification by
using proper analog modules, such as shaping and
timing amplifiers and constant fraction discriminators.
More recently Pagano et al. [2] applied the same method
to CHIMERA large area (300 µm thick, 5x5 cm2 area)
planar silicon detectors.
In this contribution we present the results for the pulse
shape discrimination obtained by applying digital pulse
shape acquisition techniques to the signals coming from
totally depleted CHIMERA silicon detectors, in reverse
mount and at realistic experimental conditions, in order
to reconstruct their rise-time and pulse height, and
consequently to obtain charge identification also for
products stopping in the silicon detectors.
In a preliminary test experiment at the LNS
Superconducting Cyclotron in Catania, with a 21.1
AMeV 20Ne beam bombarding a 27Al target, charge
identification have been obtained for the reaction
product both crossing (!E vs. E technique) and stopping
in Silicon detector (Silicon-Energy vs. Rise-Time
technique). The measurement has been done as parasitic
test during an Intermediate Energy experiment with the
multidetector CHIMERA in its final 4 configuration
(1192 telescopes).
One telescope in the 3rd wheel has been mounted in
reverse mode and used for the present test. The studied
pulse shape discrimination technique has been applied
to the first detector of the Si-CsI(Tl) detection cell,
while both Si and CsI(Tl) signals have been used for
(!E-E) analysis. The full area of the silicon detector
(5x5 cm2) has been used with no collimator.
Each signal has been digitally filtered. Waveforms of
2048 consecutive ADC samples have been collected at
10 ns time intervals and stored in the Sampling ADC
memory banks in wrap-around mode. For every event
the sample collection is stopped by using a post-trigger.
From this instant the pulse-form for each event
parameter (Si and CsI(Tl)) is reconstructed and stored.
The use of post-trigger allowed for an accurate baseline
restoring of each pulse, before the computation of pulse
height.
The rise time of pulses was calculated as the
difference between the times at which the pulse-form
crosses 10% and 90% of the full pulse height relative to
baseline.
In Fig. 1 the result obtained for the previous reaction
are shown. On the right side the (Silicon-Energy vs.
Rise-Time) scatter plot is shown, while left side presents
the (!E vs. E) scatter plot for products producing a
signal in the CsI(Tl). A full charge identification up to Z
= 11 has been obtained for the reaction product crossing
the Silicon detector, while for the reaction products
stopping in the Silicon detector charge identification has
been reached in the range 4 " Z " 12.
The quality of the obtained results clearly indicates
that the digital signal processing approach is able to give
excellent results in this application, too.

Fig.1: results obtained for the 20Ne+27Al reaction are shown. On the right side the (Silicon-Energy vs. Rise-Time) scatter plot is shown,giving
charge identification for products stopping in the silicon detectors. Left side presents the (!E vs. E) scatter plot for products producing a signal
in the CsI(Tl).

3 REFERENCES
[1] G. Pausch et al., NIM A337 (1992) 573.
[2] A. Pagano et al, Proc. of “The international
Workshop on Multifragmentation and
Related Topics - IWM2003”, GANIL, Caen,
November, 2003 – in press.