Large-area linear silicon drift detectors will equip the third and fourth layers of the inner tracking system of the ALICE experiment. During the R&D phase of this sensor, an extensive work of simulation has been carried out in order, first, to determine, and, subsequently, to refine its design. In this paper we present this work giving a detailed description of the characteristics of each building block. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
