A pixel read-out chip for the PILATUS project

Abstract For the protein crystallography beamlime of the Swiss Light Source (SLS), which will be operational in summer 2001, the PILATUS detector ( PI xe L A ppara TU s for the S LS) is currently being built. The goal of the PILATUS project is a hybrid pixel system with a size of 40×40 cm 2 having 2000×2000 pixels. The detector will be operated in single photon counting mode for 12 keV X-rays. The prototype pixel read-out chip has a noise of 75 e − with sensor, a low threshold dispersion and a maximum count rate of 1 MHz/pixel. Due to the expected radiation dose in operation at the beamline, the chip is designed in radiation hard DMILL technology.