Ultra-Low Noise Charge Sensitive Preamplifier for Scintillation Detection with Avalanche Photodiodes in PET Applications

The need for compact, fast, low-noise front-end electronics in high resolution positron emission tomography (PET) has prompted this effort to design a preamplifier suitable for avalanche photodiode-based scintillation detectors. Due to the small signals from the detectors (< .03 pC/MeV), a preamplifier with ultra-low noise performance in the 5 to 20 MHz range is essential to achieve the timing resolution required by the PET application. Out of many available technologies, a new third generation MOSFET wqas selected and implemented as input transistor in an original charge sensitive (CSP) design. Performance among the best reported to date are obtained. The new design was implemented as a dual-channel preamplifier in high density hybrid (thick film) technology.