Upgrade of the Cold Electronics of the ATLAS HEC Calorimeter for sLHC

The signal amplification and summation electronics of the ATLAS Hadronic End-cap Calorimeter (HEC) is operated at the circumference of the HEC calorimeters inside the cryostats in liquid argon. The present electronics is designed to operate at irradiation levels expected for the LHC. For operation at the sLHC the irradiation levels are expected to be a factor 10 higher, therefore a new electronic system might be needed. The technological possibilities are investigated. From irradiation tests of the present HEC electronics it is known that it will operate up to a dose of 55 kGy of ionizing radiation and up to a neutron fluence of 3 * 10**14 n/cm**2, where it shows some degradation of performance. This matches well the requirements of up to 1.5 * 10**13 n/cm**2 for 10 years of LHC operation, including safety factors. For a subsequent sLHC running phase with 10 times higher expected irradiation levels, a more radiation hard HEC electronics will be needed. Therefore generic studies of different technologies have been carried out at the transistor level to understand the radiation hardness up to integrated neutron fluxes of ~2*10**16 n/cm**2 and the behaviour during operation at cryogenic temperatures. The S-parameter technique has been used to monitor the performance e.g. of gain and linearity during irradiation at room temperature. In addition, DC measurements before and after irradiation have been compared. Results of these tests and of accompanying noise tests are reported. In addition, results of S-parameter measurements will be reported operating the transistors in liquid nitrogen. Conclusions are drawn and the potential is assessed on the viability of using the tested technologies for carrying out the design of new HEC cold electronics for the sLHC.