title: The DEPFET Sensor-Amplifier Structure: A Method to Beat 1/f Noise and Reach Sub-Electron Noise in Pixel Detectors.
abstract: Depleted field effect transistors (DEPFET) are used to achieve very low noise signal charge readout with sub-electron measurement precision. This is accomplished by repeatedly reading an identical charge, thereby suppressing not only the white serial noise but also the usually constant 1/f noise. The repetitive non-destructive readout (RNDR) DEPFET is an ideal central element for an active pixel sensor (APS) pixel. The theory has been derived thoroughly and results have been verified on RNDR-DEPFET prototypes. A charge measurement precision of 0.18 electrons has been achieved. The device is well-suited for spectroscopic X-ray imaging and for optical photon counting in pixel sensors, even at high photon numbers in the same cell.
authors.affiliation: PNSENSOR GmbH, München D-81739, Germany. gerhard.lutz@pnsensor.de.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility GmbH, Hamburg D-22761, Germany. matteo.porro@xfel.eu.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porro
authors.affiliation: PNSENSOR GmbH, München D-81739, Germany. stefan.aschauer@pnsensor.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aschauer
authors.affiliation: Gründeläckerstr. 28, Dormitz D-91077, Germany. stefan.woelfel@steppke.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wölfel
authors.affiliation: PNSENSOR GmbH, München D-81739, Germany. lothar.strueder@pnsensor.com.|Experimental Physics, University of Siegen, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, Siegen D-87068, Germany. lothar.strueder@pnsensor.com.
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strüder
keywords: DEPFET; X-ray spectroscopy; charge measurement; photon detection; pixel detector; sub-electron precision