A MICROSTRIP GAS CHAMBER ON A SILICON SUBSTRATE

The operation of a microstrip gas chamber built on a silicon substrate is described. The insulation between the low-resistivity silicon and the anode-cathode structure is provided by a 2-mu-m thick thermal oxide layer. A gas gain of 10(4) has been measured at potential differences much lower than those usually needed with glass or quartz substrates. No surface charging or gain drift have been observed up to a measured flux of 5 x 10(5) particles/cm2s. A device with such a thin dielectric between strips and back plane, makes a true two-dimensional readout possible