The use of GaN Transistors as radiation hard high-voltage switches
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
A new type of transistor has been identified for the switching of high voltage in the extreme radiation environment present at the inside of the detectors at the Large Hadron Collider located near Geneva in Switzerland. These transistors allow us to switch part of our detectors on and off remotely, increasing the robustness of our experiments to component failures during its 10 year lifetime.
Organisations
Publications
Villani E
(2020)
HVMUX, high voltage multiplexing for the ATLAS strip tracker upgrade
in Journal of Instrumentation
| Description | After a long programme of assessing their radiation hardness, production-grade GaN substrate based high-voltage transistors were purchased for use in the ATLAS ITk detector. After a quality control and qualification programme, the transistors have been qualified as being suitable for use in the ITk detector. This finding adds important functionality to the ITk detector, allowing to switch the High Voltage supply for each individual module on and off remotely, improving robustness and adding options for detector diagnostics. |
| Exploitation Route | The transistors assessed could be used in other high radiation environments such as reactors, particle accelerators, high intensity light sources and potentially space applications. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Electronics Energy |
| Description | The CERN accelerator division has considered a similar transistor for use in the LHC facilities. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Electronics |