Development of Micro Pixel Chamber using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics

The Micro Pixel Chamber (μ-PIC) using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) was developed. The prototype has been made and tested, and the signal from LTCC μ-PIC has been get successfully. The standard (traditional) μ-PIC is usually made from metal electrodes and polyimide substrate. One of serious problem of this detector is tolerance for the spark between anodes and cathodes. The substrate, which made from organic material, might be carbonized by heavy spark condition, and it is the cause of the short between the both electrodes. In this research, we have tried to use inorganic device for substrate. The LTCC is commonly used for electronic devices as circuit board recently, and then industrial process for production is already established. Especially, it is rather easy to make the electrical connection between layer with making hole by punching before baking. This device has already been tested as substrate of the GEM before, and excellent properties against to spark has been observed. We have applied the LTCC as the μ-PIC device and tested it. The spark test has been performed using fast neutron, and LTCC μ-PIC shows high tolerance to the sparks repeatedly.