Measurements of efficiency, timing and response to irradiation for direct detection of charged particles with SiPMs

In this paper the efficiency of direct charged particle detection with different Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) sensors has been measured to be close to 100%. Time resolution of about 20 ps has also been confirmed for sensors with an active area of around 3x3 mm${}^{\text{2}}$ and a single-cell area of 40 $\mu$m${}^{\text{2}}$. In addition, the SiPM performance after irradiation, in terms of timing response and dark count rate, has been evaluated for sensors with a 1x1 mm${}^{\text{2}}$ area, demonstrating that SiPMs can maintain excellent timing capabilities and a low dark count rate when an appropriate threshold is applied to the signal.