Pulsed proton beam as a diagnostic tool for the characterization of semiconductor detectors at high charge densities

We exploited the possibility of using a pulsed mono-energetic proton beam - coming from the DEFEL beam-line of the Tandetron accelerator at LaBEC (Laboratorio di Tecniche Nucleari per i Beni Culturali) in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy - as a diagnostic tool for the characterization of the response of semiconductor detectors at high charge densities. In fact accelerated protons owing to their limited range in silicon can deliver a large and precisely calibrated amount of charge along a track well matched to the typical silicon wafer thickness. As a case study we considered the characterization at high level of charge injection of a Multi-Linear Silicon Drift Detector prototype for position-sensing applications. The focus is on the potentiality of the experimental technique and on the first results of the experimental characterization of the detector.