First performance evaluation of MexSiC - a readout ASIC for analog SiPM based Cherenkov detectors

The systems based on silicon photomultipliers have become an excellent option to work in several fields, from astrophysics to medical applications. They can replace the traditional photomultiplier tubes due to the fact that they need much lower operational voltages (between 24 and 80 V), their price is more accessible and their high immunity to magnetic fields, simultaneously enabling near single-photon counting capability alongside nanosecond time resolutions. Moreover, their photon detection efficiency is higher than 40% at peak wavelengths (in the blue-green visible part of the spectra). This work describes the design process and first evaluation of an application specific integrated circuit for acquisition and processing of silicon photomultiplier originated analog signals, fabricated in a 180 nm commercial CMOS technology yielding information regarding signal triggering time, time over threshold, amount of charge, as well as the digitized original signal shape.