Development of CoRDIA: an Imaging Detector for next-generation Synchrotron Rings and Free Electron Lasers

An x-ray imager is being developed for use in diffraction-limited synchrotron rings and continuous wave free electron lasers. The imager is named CoRDIA (COntinuous Readout Digitising Imager Array) and aims at achieving continuous operation at a frame rate in excess of 100kHz. Other goals include single-photon sensitivity at 12 keV (or below), a full well in excess of 10k photon/pixel/image, and a 100μm pixel pitch. The detector ASIC will be compatible with multiple sensor materials to cover different energy ranges. Exploratory prototypes of the readout ASIC (basic circuital blocks) have been manufactured in TSMC 65nm technology: they are presently under test.