The LAMBDA photon-counting pixel detector

The Medipix3 photon-counting detector chip has a number of novel features that are attractive for synchrotron experiments, such as a high frame rate with zero dead time and high spatial resolution. DESY are developing a large-area Medipix3-based detector array (LAMBDA). A single LAMBDA module consists of 2 by 6 Medipix3 chips on a ceramic carrier board, bonded to either a single large silicon sensor or two smaller high-Z sensors. The readout system fits behind the carrier board to allow module tiling, and uses a large on-board RAM and multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet links to permit high-speed readout. Currently, the first large silicon modules have been constructed and read out at low speed, and the firmware for highspeed readout is being developed. In addition to these silicon sensors, we are developing a germanium hybrid pixel detector in collaboration with Canberra for higher-energy beamlines. Canberra have produced a set of 256-by-256-pixel planar germanium sensors with 55μm pitch, and these are currently being bonded to Medipix3 readout chips by Fraunhofer IZM (Berlin).