VLSI Electronics Design and Testing for the Silicon Drift Sensor System of the ALICE Experiment

Large sensor systems in modern high energy physics experiments combine state-of-the-art technologies in sensor development, electronics and large-system integration. The silicon drift sensor system (SDD), part of the inner tracking system of the ALICE experiment at LHC required the development of full-custom VLSI electronics. The high number of integrated ADCs, as well as low-noise and low-power operation are the key features of this design. Besides the architecture, design, and performance of the front-end electronics this paper reports construction issues and quality control of the front-end integration process