Design and Simulation of a Highly Sensitive Charge Detector With Nondestructive Readout Mode for Fully Depleted Thick CCDs

Several applications with charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and Skipper-CCDs can be significantly improved with an enhancement in pixel readout speed. In this work, we present the design and TCAD modeling of a highly sensitive double-gate MOSFET for charge amplification in CCD detectors. The design steps followed to integrate the device into high-voltage fully-depleted thick CCDs are described. Like Skipper-CCDs, the device allows for nondestructive readout of the charge packet for noise reduction. The simulations predict a sensitivity of 2.5\,\,\text {nA}/\text {e}^{-} and a readout noise of 2.4\,\,\text {e}^{-}_{\text {rms}}/\text {pix} at a readout speed of 300 \text {kpixels/s} . In a multisampling operation, a readout noise of 0.1\,\,\text {e}^{-}_{\text {rms}}/\text {pix} can also be achieved at a readout speed in the order of 700 \text {pixels/s} , approximately seven times faster than the Skipper-CCD at that same readout noise level.