Recent Advances in TES-based Detector Development for Dark Matter and CENNS Searches
ORAL
Abstract
As part of the ongoing efforts to meet and exceed sensitivity goals for the TESSERACT dark matter search and to set the stage for future rare event searches, this talk details recent advances in TES-based detector fabrication carried out by our group at Texas A&M University. Detailed characterization of our thin films sheds light on potential sources of Low Energy Excess (LEE) events. Aluminum films produced by a new sputtering system provide a path to potentially greatly increase our detector sensitivity. With improved superconducting films comes the need to re-optimize our sensors. To speed up the iterative development of new sensor designs we use a maskless photolithography system to remove the lead time for each design iteration. Moving to a maskless lithography system also allows us to pattern our sensors on nontraditional substrates, opening the door to new detector geometries. To enable fabrication of our sensors directly on germanium and gallium arsenide, we work to develop a novel lift off fabrication method using a sacrificial layer of aluminum.
*We acknowledge funding provided by the DOE through the TESSERACT project led by LBL. We also acknowledge Mitchell Institute at Texas A&M University for much of the non-project R&D work.
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Publication: Planned publications on a) MLA-based TES fabrication, and b) Improved QET design using high-RRR aluminum
Presenters
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Keith Hunter
- Texas A&M University