TOFFEE: A fully custom amplifier-comparator chip for silicon detectors with internal gain

We report on the design and tests results of a fully custom amplifier-comparator readout chip designed to be coupled to silicon detectors with internal charge multiplication for precise timing applications. The ASIC has been developed in UMC 110nm CMOS technology and aims to fulfill the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (CT-PPS) time resolution requirements (∼30 ps per detector plane). Both LVDS outputs and the signal dynamic range match the requirements of the High Precision TDC (HPTDC) system. Noise and signal amplitude measurements with a test board are included.