Modelling Gaia CCD pixels with Silvaco 3D engineering software

¹ e2v centre for electronic imaging, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK6 7AA, UK
² Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, UK
e-mail: gms@mssl.ucl.ac.uk
³ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, The Netherlands
⁴ Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., Sevenoaks, UK
⁵ e2v technologies plc, 106 Waterhouse Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2QU, UK

Abstract

Gaia will only achieve its unprecedented measurement accuracy requirements with detailed calibration and correction for radiation damage. We present our Silvaco 3D engineering software model of the Gaia CCD pixel and two of its applications for Gaia: (1) physically interpreting supplementary buried channel (SBC) capacity measurements (pocket-pumping and first pixel response) in terms of e2v manufacturing doping alignment tolerances; and (2) deriving electron densities within a charge packet as a function of the number of constituent electrons and 3D position within the charge packet as input to microscopic models being developed to simulate radiation damage.