Industrial manufacturing of resistive bulk Micromegas

Abstract In recent years, resistive Micromegas detectors have undergone an intense R&D phase to ensure their technological advancements for safe operation under diverse experimental conditions. Both low and high-rate versions have matured to be employed in upgrades of current detectors, large apparatuses at future colliders, and applications beyond high-energy physics. Thus far, the advancement and development of Micromegas have been primarily conducted at CERN. The state-of-the-art technology includes resistive structures based on Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC). A collective effort is underway to perfect the technology of sputtering and to produce high-quality, cost-effective DLC foils, utilising the new magnetron sputtering machine available at CERN. To meet the demands of massive production for large and challenging projects, significant involvement from industrial partners is essential. Consequently, an extensive process of technology transfer to industry has been underway for several years with ELTOS S.p.A., a well-known company already involved in the large-scale production of detector components for CERN experiments. This work reviews the steps involved in the production of resistive Micromegas primarily focusing on the industrialization process at ELTOS.