Charge sensitive preamplifier and pulse shaper using CMOS process for germanium spectroscopy

We have developed a low noise, low power charge sensitive amplifier and pulse shaping circuit. Our application is for a double-sided germanium strip detector, nominally providing 50 independent spectroscopy channels. An array of these detectors would provide significant improvements in imaging, spectroscopy, and sensitivity for space-based gamma-ray astronomy. The key features of these electronics are low noise, very low power, and small footprint per channel. Performance of our first circuit is in good agreement with simulations, with ~205e noise rms (0 pF), and 3 mW/channel power consumption. Dynamic range is 0-3.3 MeV (germanium) with a linearity of ±0.6%. Performance of this prototype device will be discussed