Radiation Hardened Intelligent Readout ASIC for Nuclear Physics Experiments

In this DOE SBIR topic C57-34.b the DOE Office of Nuclear Physics (NP) seeks new ultra-low-power developments in front-end readout application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) with on-chip data compression to amplify and process streaming data from highly-segmented solid-state gas detectors that generally aid the active-target community to maximize quality of measurements. Alphacore’s major goal in this DOE program is to develop a solution that addresses the critical readout needs of NP experiments, including the Electron Ion Collider (EIC). To meet this goal, we are developing a multi-channel streaming readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) demanded for various detectors, such as calorimeter detectors and Dual Radiator Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector (dRICH), which use Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). Alphacore has recently developed, and silicon demonstrated, similar low power readout/digitizer ICs with multi-channel pre-amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in low-cost fabrication technology nodes. The proposed intelligent front-end ASIC offers a high-performance digitizer with on-board data processing to more efficiently stream data collection in NP and High Energy Physics (HEP) particle detector experiments as well as high performance imaging systems where no streamed image latency can be tolerated. Alphacore’s proposed single chip intelligent front-end ASIC design is optimized for size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) especially for low-power, low-cost, and radiation-hardened operation. Alphacore has developed, and demonstrated with working silicon, similar low power readout ICs with multi-channel pre-amplifiers and ADCs in low-cost fabrication technology nodes. Alphacore recently had detailed detector discussions with Dr. Gerard Visser of Indiana University and Marco Battaglieri from Italy’s National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) who currently work on the EIC Electron-Proton/Ion Collider (EPIC) calorimeter readout architecture. They gave Alphacore detailed requirements and a preliminary architecture for the intelligent front-end ASIC that is needed. In Phase I, Alphacore designed a versatile readout ASIC architecture to meet EIC goals, optimized for ultra-low-power consumption and digitization-I/O bandwidth. In Phase I, the feasibility of the intelligent ASIC design was demonstrated using Alphacore’s HYDRA (HYbrid DigitizeR Architecture) – an architecture that enables configurable sampling rates and has exceptionally low core power at maximum sampling speed. Radiation hardness up to EIC levels, i.e., a few megarads, was modeled. Alphacore further refined the ASIC specifications through regular communication with key stakeholders and senior researchers within the DOE, especially the Streaming Readout community, and finalized the planned chip architecture. As a starting point for this ASIC, Alphacore is using its A14B200M-TS28H ADC IP, a 14-bit, 200 megasample per second (MSPS) ADC IP designed using HYDRA and including machine-learning calibration. A 16-channel test chip was fully designed with layout of both sub-circuits and a full ADC so it can immediately be fabricated at the beginning of a follow-on Phase II program. Alphacore has been developing low-cost, multi-channel readout ICs for NP experiments including EIC experiments at Brookhaven National Labs (BNL) Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, the Dark Light Phase I and Phase II experiments at Jefferson Lab (JLAB), SoLID at JLAB, STAR upgrade at BNL, and planned large nuclear physics experiments at National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL)/Facility for Rare Isotopes Beams (FRIB) and Texas A&M University. Other detector types of interest include the Ring-Imaging Cherenkov Detector (RICH), Modular Ring-Imaging Cherenkov Detector (mRICH), Detectioni of Internally Reflected Cherenkov (DIRC) light detectors, gas electron multiplier detectors, Micro-Mesh Structure GAseous (MicroMegas) parallel plate detectors, Scintillation Detectors integrated with SiPMs, even traditional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) (often coupled with scintillators), microchannel plate (MCP) detectors, Si strip detectors, and Calorimeters.