Ultra fast X-ray detection systems in nanometer and 3D technologies

For many years hybrid pixel detectors working in the single photon counting mode have been used not only in high energy physics experiments but also for X-ray imaging applications. In these detectors each pixel has its independent electronic readout channel for photon by photon signal processing, what provides better image quality and possibility of counting photons only within a given energy window. There are different trends in development of hybrid pixel detectors. One is to use nanometer or 3D technologies to include more complex functionality in single pixel cell together with good parameters of analog front-end electronics and high maximum pulse throughput per single channel. Another trend is targeted at building large area X-ray cameras which can be used by industry or novel scientific experiments mainly in material science, physics and biology. In both trends the problems to be solved are similar, however the priorities are a little bit different. This paper presents the main issues related to the development of semiconductor pixel detector systems on the examples of produced integrated circuits.