Investigation of characteristics and radiation hardness of the Beetle 1.0 front-end chip

Noise characteristics of the Beetle 1.0 front-end chip have been investigated as a function of input capacitance. Values for the equivalent noise charge and ballastic deficit have been extracted. Amplification and pulse shape have been studied by varying the bias settings over a wide range. Results are compared with simulations that include realistic impedances at the input and output. The chip has been subjected to 10 Mrad of radiation. Subsequently, its behaviour is measured again and compared to that preceeding the irradiation. Observed radiation damage effects are discussed.