Performance of the BELLE silicon vertex detector

Using 6.8 fb/sup -1/ of data taken between October 1999 and July 2000, the performance of the silicon vertex detector (SVD) in the BELLE experiment is reviewed. The main purpose of the SVD is to make precise measurements of the B decay vertex position, which are essential for the observation of CP asymmetries. Excellent vertex resolution and a good detection efficiency are required for the SVD. Basic performance parameters such as signal pulse height, noise, strip yield, and intrinsic resolution are reported. The SVD performance parameters that are directly related to physics analysis such as track matching efficiency, impact parameter resolution, and vertex resolution are also shown.