Front-end Electronics for Timing with pico-second precision using 3D Trench Silicon Sensors

The next generation of collider experiments require tracking detectors with extreme performance capabilities in terms of spatial resolution (tens of µm), radiation hardness (10¹⁷ 1 MeV n_eq/cm²) and timing resolution (tens of ps). 3D silicon sensors, recently developed within the TimeSPOT initiative, offer a viable solution to cope with such demanding requirements. In order to accurately characterize the timing performance of these new sensors, several read-out boards, based on discrete active components, have been designed, assembled, and tested. The same electronics is also suitable for characterization of similar pixel sensors whenever timing performance in the order and below 10 ps is a requirement. This paper describes the general characteristics needed by front-end electronics to exploit solid-state sensors with fast timing capabilities and in particular, showcases the performance of the developed electronics in the testing and characterization of fast 3D silicon sensors.