Simulations of electric potential and field profiles in Si microstrip detectors with various strip widths/pitch configurations: introduction of guard strip concept for better field distribution

Two-dimensional simulations of the electrical properties of Si microstrip detectors various strip width/pitch configurations have been systematically performed using a processing and device simulation tool. It has been found that the detector full depletion voltage (V/sub fd/) depends greatly on the ratios of strip width (W) to pitch (P) and pitch to detector thickness (d). The value of V/sub fd/ increases with the decreasing ratio of W/P: V/sub fd/ for W/P=0.1 (P=100 m) is almost twice of that of a bulk detector (W/P=1) for different bulk resistivities (simulation of before and after radiation). The increasing rate of V/sub fd/ with decreasing W/P is much higher when W/P<9.3. It has also been found that, for a given strip width, the strip pitch should be kept smaller than the sum of detector thickness and strip width, i.e. P