Prototype and mass production tests of avalanche photodiodes for the electromagnetic calorimeter in the ALICE experiment at LHC

Avalanche PhotoDiodes (APD) have been chosen as photonsensors for the new Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EMCal) of the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The size of the calorimeter requires the overall use of more than 12 000 APDs, all of which have to be tested and characterized individually. A procedure for the test of a large amount of APDs has been developed and is here described in detail, together with results from a first sample of devices.