A latchup topology to investigate novel particle detectors

Here the latchup effect is described as a novel approach to detect and read out particles by means of a solid-state device exploiting latchup topology. The paper first describes the state-of-the-art of the project and its development over the latest years, then the present and future studies are proposed. An elementary cell composed of two transistors connected in a thyristor structure is shown. A first prototype uses MOS transistors, resulting an even more promising and challenging configuration than that obtained via bipolar transistors. A second version of the circuit exploits a commercial SiC MESFET as sensing device. As the MOS transistors are widely used at present in microelectronics, a latchup topology is proposed as a novel structure for future applications in particle detection, amplification of signal sensors and radiation monitoring.