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MOENCH: Micropixel with enhanced pOsition rEsolution usiNg CHarge integration

MÖNCH is a novel hybrid silicon pixel detector based on charge integration and analog readout, featuring a challengingly 25 μm pixel pitch.
It is a research project which aims to push the development of hybrid pixel detectors to its limits in terms of photon flux, position resolution, energy information and low energy detection.

MÖNCH03 is a fully functional, small scale prototype of 10x10mm2, containing an array of 400x400 pixels, designed in UMC 110nm technology.
It is optimized for low flux applications and the gain is selectable only statically. Despite being only a prototype, it has already been used for several scientific applications. Its main perfomance is highlighted in the table:

Noise 40 electrons
Dynamic range 100 12 keV photons
Frame rate 1.3 kHz

Although still a research project, the main foreseen target applications are:

  • Energy resolved experiments (XRF, Laue diffraction)
  • (sub-)micron resolution imaging
  • Colour imaging with X-ray tubes
  • Low energy detection
An extremely high bump-bonding yield better than 99.9% has been achieved for the 4x4mm2 MOENCH02 chip. This result is extremely important for the production of larger area systems.
Summing up the charge collected by a 3x3 pixels cluster allows to reconstruct the whole X-ray energy and remove charge sharing.
The measured noise of the detector is as low as 30 e- ENC(rms) (
The charge sharing effect between pixels, together with the signal analog readout, can be exploited to interpolate the hit position as shown for a slit pattern with various pacing. Details well below the Nyqvist frequency are visible.
  • Wakonig K, Diaz A, Bonnin A, Stampanoni M, Bergamaschi A, Ihli J, et al.
    X-ray Fourier ptychography
    Science Advances. 2019; 5(2): eaav0282 (6 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav0282
    DORA PSI
  • Bergamaschi A, Andrä M, Barten R, Brückner M, Chiriotti S, David C, et al.
    Hybrid detectors for high resolution imaging
    Microscopy and Microanalysis. 2018; 24(Suppl. 2): 316-318. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927618013910
    DORA PSI
  • Bergamaschi A, Andrä M, Barten R, Borca C, Brückner M, Chiriotti S, et al.
    The MÖNCH detector for soft X-ray, high-resolution, and energy resolved applications
    Synchrotron Radiation News. 2018; 31(6): 11-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/08940886.2018.1528428
    DORA PSI
  • Dullin C, Albers J, Tromba G, Andrä M, Ramilli M, Bergamaschi A
    MÖNCH detector enables fast and low-dose free-propagation phase-contrast computed tomography of in situ mouse lungs
    Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. 2018; 25(2): 565-569. https://doi.org/10.1107/S160057751701668X
    DORA PSI
  • Langer M, Vaz CAF, Chiriotti S, Bergamaschi A, Guizar-Sicairos M, Kleibert A, et al.
    Development of a new soft X-ray ptychography spectro-microscope at the Swiss Light Source (SLS)
    Microscopy and Microanalysis. 2018; 24(Suppl. 2): 54-55. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927618012709
    DORA PSI
  • Ramilli M, Bergamaschi A, Andrae M, Brückner M, Cartier S, Dinapoli R, et al.
    Measurements with MÖNCH, a 25 μm pixel pitch hybrid pixel detector
    Journal of Instrumentation. 2017; 12(1): C01071 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/12/01/C01071
    DORA PSI
  • Cartier S, Kagias M, Bergamaschi A, Wang Z, Dinapoli R, Mozzanica A, et al.
    Micrometer-resolution imaging using MÖNCH: towards G2-less grating interferometry
    Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. 2016; 23(6): 1462-1473. https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577516014788
    DORA PSI
  • Bergamaschi A, Cartier S, Dinapoli R, Greiffenberg D, Jungmann-Smith JH, Mezza D, et al.
    Looking at single photons using hybrid detectors
    Journal of Instrumentation. 2015; 10(1): C01033 (13 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/10/01/C01033
    DORA PSI
  • Cartier S, Bergamaschi A, Dinapoli R, Greiffenberg D, Johnson I, Jungmann-Smith JH, et al.
    Study of the signal response of the MÖNCH 25 μm pitch hybrid pixel detector at different photon absorption depths
    Journal of Instrumentation. 2015; 10(3): C03022 (9 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/10/03/C03022
    DORA PSI
  • Cartier S, Bergamaschi A, Dinapoli R, Greiffenberg D, Johnson I, Jungmann JH, et al.
    Micron resolution of MÖNCH and GOTTHARD, small pitch charge integrating detectors with single photon sensitivity
    Journal of Instrumentation. 2014; 9(5): C05027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/9/05/C05027
    DORA PSI
  • Dinapoli R, Bergamaschi A, Cartier S, Greiffenberg D, Johnson I, Jungmann JH, et al.
    MÖNCH, a small pitch, integrating hybrid pixel detector for X-ray applications
    Journal of Instrumentation. 2014; 9(5): C05015 (9 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/9/05/C05015
    DORA PSI
Person Position Phone Nr. Email
Dr. Anna Bergamaschi
Group Leader Detector Science and Characterization
+41 56 310 32 27
anna.bergamaschi@psi.ch
Dr. Roberto Dinapoli
Microelectronics Engineer, leader of the chip design group
+41 56 310 53 84
roberto.dinapoli@psi.ch