Multi-Amplifier Sensing Charge-coupled Devices for Next Generation Spectroscopy

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Lin, Kenneth W, Karcher, Armin, Julien, Guy, Holland, Stephen E, Kolbe, William F, Nugent, Peter E, Drlica-Wagner, Alex, Botti, Ana M, Tiffenberg, Javier
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 30.08.2024
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Astronomical spectroscopy; Charge coupled devices; Charge efficiency; Clocks; Electrons; Faint objects; Noise measurement; Parameters; Physics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics; Spectrum analysis
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2406.06472

We present characterization results and performance of a prototype Multiple-Amplifier Sensing (MAS) silicon charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor with 16 channels potentially suitable for faint object astronomical spectroscopy and low-signal, photon-limited imaging. The MAS CCD is designed to reach sub-electron readout noise by repeatedly measuring charge through a line of amplifiers during the serial transfer shifts. Using synchronized readout electronics based on the DESI CCD controller, we report a read noise of 1.03 e\(^-\) rms/pix at a speed of 26 \(\mu\)s/pix with a single-sample readout scheme where charge in a pixel is measured only once for each output stage. At these operating parameters, we find the amplifier-to-amplifier charge transfer efficiency (ACTE) to be \(>0.9995\) at low counts for all amplifiers but one for which the ACTE is 0.997. This charge transfer efficiency falls above 50,000 electrons for the read-noise optimized voltage configuration we chose for the serial clocks and gates. The amplifier linearity across a broad dynamic range from \(\sim\)300 to 35,000 e\(^-\) was also measured to be \(\pm 2.5\%\). We describe key operating parameters to optimize on these characteristics and describe the specific applications for which the MAS CCD may be a suitable detector candidate.