Charge sensitive preamplifier and pulse shaper using CMOS process for germanium spectroscopy

The authors have developed a low noise, low power charge sensitive amplifier and pulse shaping circuit. The application is for a double-sided germanium strip detector, nominally providing 50 independent spectroscopy channels. An array of these detectors would provide significant improvements in imaging, spectroscopy and sensitivity for space-based gamma-ray astronomy. The key features of these electronics are low noise, very low power, and a small footprint per channel. Performance of the first circuit is in good agreement with simulations, with /spl sim/205e noise rms (0 pF), and 3 mW/channel power consumption. The dynamic range is 0-3.3 MeV (germanium) with a linearity of /spl plusmn/0.6%. Performance of this prototype device is discussed.>