A 256 channel photon counting module using a square microchannel plate PMT in a tight packing envelope achieving < 100 ps single photon timing.

Posted on August 11, 2022

James Milnes R&D Manager at Photek will present at the next XI International Workshop on Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectors (RICH 2022) | University of Edinburgh meeting

15 Sept 2022, 17:25

Photek have developed a square microchannel plate (MCP) PMT using 6 µm pore MCPs to achieve superior timing, compared to the previous generation which used 15 µm pores. The native anode pattern is 64×64, but for this module the pattern is ganged to a 16×16 design using an epoxy bonded PCB giving an anode size of 3.3×3.3 mm2 in a 53×53 mm2 active area. The electronic front-end is the TOFPET2d ASIC from Petsys Electronics, a combined amplifier / discriminator / TDC with 30 ps time bins and capable of 480 kHz per channel count rate, with sufficient dynamic range to allow for the gain variation inherent in large area MCP-PMTs. Communications is through gigabit ethernet. The outer envelope of the combined PMT and electronic front-end package allows for close packing on 4 sides with outer dimensions of 60×62 mm giving a 76% fill factor. We present results showing the uniformity of detection efficiency, single photon timing accuracy and count rate capability. All data is taken on PMTs with ALD coated MCPs capable of > 5 C/cm2 accumulated lifetime. Link to conference program