Real-time solid-state neutron detectors have been fabricated from semiconducting boron-carbon alloys, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Single neutrons were detected and signals induced by gamma rays were determined to be insignificant. The source gas closo-1,2-dicarbadodecaborane ͑ortho-carborane͒ was used to fabricate the boron-carbon alloys with only the natural isotopic abundance of 10 B. Devices made of thicker boron-carbon alloy layers enriched in 10 B could lead to increased detection efficiency and active diodes could use the inherent micron scale spatial resolution, increasing the range of possible applications.
Semiconducting boron-rich boron-carbon alloys have been deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Heterojunction diodes made with 276nm thick nanocrystalline layers of these alloys have been used as real-time solidstate neutron detectors. Individual neutrons were detected and signals induced by gamma rays were determined to be insignificant. Linearity of detection was demonstrated over more than two orders of magnitude in flux. The neutron detection performance was unaffected by > 1 x 10 15 neutrons / cm 2 . The source gas closo-1,2-dicarbadodecaborane (ortho-carborane) was used to fabricate the boron carbon alloys with only the natural isotopic abundance of 10 B. Devices made of thicker boron carbon alloy layers enriched in 10 B could lead to increased detection efficiency.
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