3D interconnect architecture for high-bandwidth massively paralleled imager

The proton radiography group at LANL is developing a fast (5×106 frames/s or 5 megaframe/s) multi-frame imager for use in dynamic radiographic experiments with high-energy protons. The mega-pixel imager will acquire and process a burst of 32 frames captured at inter-frame time ∼200 ns. Real time signal processing and storage requirements for entire frames, of rapidly acquired pixels impose severe demands on the space available for the electronics in a standard monolithic approach. As such, a 3D arrangement of detector and circuit elements is under development. In this scheme, the readout integrated circuits (ROICs) are stacked vertically (like playing cards) into a cube configuration. Another die, a fully depleted pixel photo-diode focal plane array (FPA), is bump bonded to one of the edge surfaces formed by the resulting ROIC cube. Recently, an assembly of the proof-of-principle test cube and sensor has been completed.