The MAPS based PXL vertex detector for the STAR experiment

The Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) was installed in the STAR experiment for the 2014 heavy ion run of RHIC. Designed to improve the vertex resolution and extend the measurement capabilities in the heavy flavor domain, the HFT is composed of three different silicon detectors based on CMOS monolithic active pixels (MAPS), pads and strips respectively, arranged in four concentric cylinders close to the STAR interaction point. The two innermost HFT layers are placed at a radius of 2.7 and 8 cm from the beam line, respectively, and accommodate 400 ultra-thin (50 [mu] m) high resolution MAPS sensors arranged in 10-sensor ladders to cover a total silicon area of 0.16 m super(2). Each sensor includes a pixel array of 928 rows and 960 columns with a 20.7 [mu] m pixel pitch, providing a sensitive area of ~ 3.8 cm super(2). The architecture is based on a column parallel readout with amplification and correlated double sampling inside each pixel. Each column is terminated with a high precision discriminator, is read out in a rolling shutter mode and the output is processed through an integrated zero suppression logic. The results are stored in two SRAM with ping-pong arrangement for a continuous readout. The sensor features 185.6 [mu] s readout time and 170 mW/cm super(2) power dissipation. The detector is air-cooled, allowing a global material budget as low as 0.39% on the inner layer. A novel mechanical approach to detector insertion enables effective installation and integration of the pixel layers within an 8 hour shift during the on-going STAR run.In addition to a detailed description of the detector characteristics, the experience of the first months of data taking will be presented in this paper, with a particular focus on sensor threshold calibration, latch-up protection procedures and general system operations aimed at stabilizing the running conditions. Issues faced during the 2014 run will be discussed together with the implemented solutions. A preliminary analysis of the detector performance meeting the design requirements will be reported.