CDF run IIb silicon: design and testing

The various generations of Silicon Vertex Detectors (SVX, SVX', SVXII) for Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) at the Fermilab Tevatron have been fundamental tools for heavy-flavor tagging via secondary vertex detection. The CDF Run IIb Silicon Vertex Detector (SVXIIb) has been designed to be a radiation-tolerant replacement for the currently installed SVXII because SVXII was not expected to survive the Tevatron luminosity anticipated for Run IIb. One major change in the new design is the use of a single mechanical and electrical element throughout the array. This element, called a stave, carries six single-sided silicon sensors on each side and is built using carbon fiber skins with a high thermal conductivity on a foam core with a built-in cooling channel. A Kapton bus cable carries power, data and control signals underneath the silicon sensors on each side of the stave. Sensors are read out in pairs via a ceramic hybrid glued on one of the sensors and equipped with four SVX4 readout chips. This new design concept leads to a very compact mechanical and electrical unit, allowing streamlined production and ease of testing and installation. A description of the design and mechanical performance of the stave is given. Results on the electrical performance obtained using prototype staves are also presented.