Simulations of the Temperature Dependence of the Charge Transfer Inefficiency in a High-Speed CCD

Abstract

Results of detailed simulations of the charge transfer inefficiency of a prototype serial readout CCD chip are reported. The effect of radiation damage on the chip operating in a particle detector at high frequency at a future accelerator is studied, specifically the creation of two electron trap levels, 0.17 eV and 0.44 eV below the bottom of the conduction band. Good agreement is found between simulations using the ISE-TCAD DESSIS program and an analytical model for the former level but not for the latter. Optimum operation is predicted to be at about 250 K where the effects of the traps is minimal; this being approximately independent of readout frequency in the range 7-50 MHz. The work has been carried out within the Linear Collider Flavour Identification (LCFI) collaboration in the context of the International Linear Collider (ILC) project.