Timepix3: first measurements and characterization of a hybrid-pixel detector working in event driven mode

Timepix3 is a hybrid pixel detector readout chip. It features a data driven readout mode where the chip sends out a data packet containing pixel coordinate, time over threshold and time of arrival immediately after the hit is processed by the pixel. The maximum hit rate is 40 Mhits/cm(2)/s with a minimum time step in the arrival time measurement of 1.56 ns. The pixel matrix consist of 256 × 256 square pixels at a 55 μm pitch and the pixel front end noise is 61 e(−) RMS. In this paper we present the first radiation measurements with Timepix3 bump bonded to a 300 μm thick silicon sensor. The chip is calibrated per pixel, using internal test pulses and the calibration is verified using X-ray fluorescence. The energy resolution, threshold dispersion and gain dispersion is measured. The energy resolution in time over threshold mode under normal operation conditions is 4.07 keV FWHM at 59.5 keV. At 10.5 keV an energy resolution of 0.72 keV FWHM was achieved in photon counting mode and in time over threshold mode, by optimizing the energy response, we achieved a 1.38 keV FWHM. We also investigate the time walk and present first results on using the time information for track reconstruction.