IEEE 301 : 1988

TEST PROCEDURES FOR AMPLIFIERS AND PREAMPLIFIERS USED WITH DETECTORS OF IONIZING RADIATION

Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers

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1. General
1.1 Scope and Object
1.2 Specialized Definitions
1.3 Symbols and Abbreviations
1.4 Constants and Conversion Factors
1.5 References
2. Spectrometer
2.1 Detectors
2.1.1 Detector signal
2.1.2 Rise Time and Fall Time
2.2 Preamplifier
2.3 Main Amplifier (Shaping Amplifier)
2.4 Biased Amplifier
2.5 Multichannel Analyzer
3. Test Instruments
3.1 Test Setup
3.1.1 Test Instrument Accuracy
3.1.2 Measurement Accuracy
3.2 Pulse Generators
3.2.1 Pulse Generator, Preamplifier Tests
3.2.2 Pulse Generator, Main-Amplifier Tests
3.3 Step Attenuator
3.3.1 Attenuator Termination
3.3.2 Attenuator Error
3.4 Capacitor Box
3.5 Shaping Amplifier
3.6 AC Voltmeter
3.7 Oscilloscope
3.8 Nonlinearity Bridge
3.9 Oscilloscope/Generator Calibration
4. Main Amplifier Measurements and Specifications
4.1 Pulse-Shape Parameters
4.1.1 Front-Panel Nomenclature, Unipolar Shaping
4.1.2 Front-Panel Nomenclature, Bipolar Shaping
4.2 Pulse Width
4.3 Overload Recovery
4.3.1 Overload Recovery Time, Unipolar
4.3.2 Overload Recovery Time, Bipolar
4.3.3 Blocking (Paralysis)
4.3.4 Baseline Artifacts
4.4 Gain-Control Calibration and Main-Amplifier Gain
4.4.1 Coarse-Gain Calibration
4.4.2 Fine-Gain Calibration
4.5 Noise, Main Amplifiers
4.6 Noise Transition Gain
4.7 Pole/Zero Range
4.8 Nonlinearity
4.9 Source Resistance
4.10 Temperature Sensitivity
4.11 Supply-Voltage Sensitivity
4.12 Crossover Walk
5. Preamplifier Measurements
5.1 Measurement of Charge Sensitivity
5.1.1 Charge Sensitivity vs Capacitance
5.1.2 Charge Sensitivity vs Capacitance, MCA Method
5.1.3 Charge Sensitivity vs Capacitance, Bridge-Balance
      Method
5.1.4 Charge Sensitivity vs Capacitance, Specifications
5.2 Size of the Internal Test Capacitor
5.3 Rise Time vs Capacitance
5.4 Noise, Preamplifiers
5.4.1 Noise, Preamplifiers for Germanium Detectors
5.4.2 Noise, Preamplifiers for Silicon Detectors
5.4.3 Noise, Units of Equivalent rms Charge and Equivalent
      rms Ion Pairs
5.4.4 Correction for Main-Amplifier Noise
5.5 Preamplifier Nonlinearity
5.6 Energy x Count-Rate Product (ECRP)
5.6.1 Determination of Cf
5.6.2 Determination of RfCf
5.6.3 Count-Rate Limit, DC-Coupled Preamplifier
5.6.4 Count-Rate Limit, AC-Coupled Preamplifier
6. Biased Amplifier Measurements
6.1 Nonlinearity, Biased Amplifier
7. Bibliography
FIGURES
1. Spectrometer
2. Energy Resolution vs t1/2
3. Test Setup
4. Oscillogram of Bridge Balance
5. Unipolar and Bipolar Pulses
6. Output Noise vs Gain Setting
7. Dynamic Characteristic Illustrating Integral Non-
      linearity
8. Measurement of Source Resistance ro
9. Test Setup for Measuring Preamplifier Differential
      Nonlinearity
10. Curves of Exponential Decay
11. Test Setup for Measuring Nonlinearity of a Biased
      Amplifier
APPENDIX
A2.2 Preamplifiers
A2.3 Pulse Shaping Networks
A3.2.1 Mercury-Relay Tail-Pulse Generator
A3.2.2 Rectangular-Pulse Generators
A3.4 Calibration of Cc
A3.6 Average-Responding AC Voltmeter, Average-to-RMS
        Correction
A3.6.1 AC Voltmeter, Bandwidth Limiting
A3.6.2 AC Voltmeter, Calibration
A3.8 Nonlinearity Bridge
A4.2 Pole-Zero Cancellation
A4.2.1 Effect of Pole/Zero Compensation on Pulse Recovery
A4.2.2 Effect of Tail-Pulse Generator on Pole/Zero
        Compensation
A4.2.3 Pole/Zero Compensation and Noise
A4.5 Elimination of Noise Suppression by the Baseline
        Restorer
A4.5.1 Search for External Noise Pickup
A4.5.2 Reduction of External Noise Pickup
A4.8 Measurement of Nonlinearity in Noninverting
        Amplifiers
A4.9 Measurement of Source Resistance
A4.11 Test Fixture for Changing the Supply Voltage
A4.12 Crossover-Walk Calibration
A4.12.1 Crossover Walk, Attenuator
A4.12.2 Crossover Walk, Crossover-Pickoff Module
A4.12.3 Crossover Walk, Nonlinearity Bridge
A5.4 Noise-Measurement Formulas
A5.4.1 Noise Formulas, Preamplifiers for Germanium
        Detectors
A5.4.2 Noise formula for Silicon Detectors
A6.1 Reference Biased Amplifier, Nonlinearity
        Measurement
APPENDIX FIGURES
A1. (A) Voltage-Sensitive and (B) Charge-Sensitive Pre-
      amplifiers
A2. Step-Function Responses of Pulse-Shaping Networks,
      Linear Scale
A3. Step-Function Responses of Pulse-Shaping Networks,
      Semilog Scale
A4. Tail-Pulse Generator with a Relay as the Switching
      Element
A5. Capacitance Bridge
A6. Test Setup for Calibrating Cc
A7. Test Input to a Preamplifier
A8. Nonlinearity Bridge with Amplifier
A9. Effect of Pole/Zero Compensation on Pulse Recovery
A10. Test Setup for Measuring Attenuator Walk
A11. Reference Biased Amplifier for Nonlinearity
      Measurement
APPENDIX TABLES
A1. Parameter Proportionalities (Approximate) in Voltage-
      Sensitive and Charge-Sensitive Preamplifiers
A2. Pulse-Shaping Networks, Figure of Merit, and Pulse-
      Width Parameters

Abstract

Describes amplifiers and pre-amplifiers for semiconductor detectors for ionizing radiation. Silicon and germanium detectors are available, silicon for heavy charged particles. Germanium detectors, for gamma radiation.