Beyond state-of-the-art hybrid pixel detector system for X-ray spectral imaging in cultural heritage applications

Abstract:

Goal of the project is the development and construction of a hybrid pixel detector system with photon counting and energy resolving capabilities for X-ray imaging.

This detector will allow the detection of single X-rays with excellent energy (about 1 keV), position (about ten microns) and timing (about 100 ps) resolutions at very high photon rates. The detector is based on assemblies built thanks to the flip-chip interconnection technique between pixelated semiconductor sensors and the Timepix4 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) produced in 65 nm CMOS technology by the CERN microelectronics group.

During the project we will build a complete experimental setup that will allow us to perform color radiography and multi-energy computed tomography to works of art in the field of cultural heritage.

This prototype system will serve as a demonstrator to perform a non-invasive and non-destructive analysis of material composition in 3 dimensions, and identify the distributions of elements in the entire volume of a test object just using a standard (polychromatic) X-ray tube and the proposed detector system. In addition, this demonstrator is based on a technology that allows the building of large active area detectors thanks to vertical integration techniques.

The expected performance of this detector will open many important applications allowing significant advances not only in cultural heritage, but also in the field of medical imaging and industrial applications.