Study and characterization of silicon photomultiplier for the outer time of flight layer of the future ALICE 3 experiment

In this thesis, Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) have been characterized for potential implementation in the future ALICE 3 experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which will replace the current ALICE detector. ALICE 3 is an innovative experiment with a key focus on minimizing the material budget, as it will consist entirely of silicon, resulting in a highly lightweight structure. SiPM sensors are being studied for use in the outer Time Of Flight layer, where radiation levels are lower, and a time resolution of 20 ps is required. However, SiPMs are also excellent photon detectors, and their characterization involved both photon beam tests from a laser source and charged particle beam tests at CERN's Proton Synchrotron. The preliminary analysis includes an estimation of the Dark Count Rate (DCR) and measurements of current and capacitance as a function of voltage. Time resolution was assessed using both a laser photon source in the laboratory and charged particles at CERN's beam facilities at different beam energies. Additionally, an initial attempt to integrate the sensors into the full electronic readout chain, comprising the LiROC (Lidar ReadOut Chip) front-end ASIC and picoTDC, is presented. The analyzed sensors differed in the thickness of the resin cover (3 mm, 1.5 mm, 1 mm, or no resin) and the presence of a thin metal layer in the trenches isolating the Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) (NUV-HD standard vs. NUV-HD-MT). While the metal layer was expected to improve isolation, no significant reduction in DCR was observed, and the time resolution appeared to worsen compared to standard sensors. The time resolution obtained with the laser source was approximately 120 ps, while values as low as 40 ps were achieved with charged particles beams.