GEMs with Double Layred Micropattern Electrodes and their Applications

TL;DR

This paper introduces innovative GEM detector designs with micropattern electrodes manufactured via microelectronic technology, offering spark protection and potential applications in particle detection and dark matter experiments.

Contribution

The paper presents new GEM detector designs with resistive and micro-resistive electrodes, enhancing spark protection and suitability for advanced physics applications.

Findings

Detectors are intrinsically spark-protected due to resistive components.

Successful tests with photosensitive CsI-coated detectors.

Potential applications include ALICE RICH upgrade and cryogenic dark matter detection.

Abstract

We have developed and tested several new designs of GEM detectors with micropattern electrodes manufactured by microelectronic technology. In one design, the inner layer of the detector electrode consists of thin metallic strips and the outer layer is made of a resistive grid manufactured by a screen printing technology. In other designs, the electrodes were made of metallic strips fed by HV via micro-resistors manufactured by a screen printing technology. Due to these features, the new detectors have several important advantages over conventional GEMs or ordinary thick GEMs. For example, the resistive grid (in the first design) and the screen printed resistors (in other designs) limited the current in case of discharges, making these detectors intrinsically spark-protected. We will here describe our tests with the photosensitive versions of these detectors (coated with CsI layers) and the efforts of implementing them in several applications. In particular, we will focus on our activity towards the ALICE RICH detector upgrade and on tests of simplified prototypes of cryogenic dark matter detectors.