Comparison Between Silicon Carbide and Diamond for Thermal Neutron Detection at Room Temperature

Obraztsova, O. N.; Ottaviani, Laurent; Geslot, B.; Izarra, Grégoire de; Palais, Olivier; Lyoussi, A.; Vervisch, Wilfried

doi:10.1109/tns.2020.2981059

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…SiC-detectors showed stable characteristics over 1800 s neutron irradiation at a flux of about 9×10 8 n cm − 2 s −1 (thereof about one third thermal) [28].…”

Section: Detector Characterization Under Neutron Fluxmentioning

confidence: 98%

Characterization of Diamond and Silicon Carbide Detectors With Fission Fragments

et al. 2021

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Experimental fission studies for reaction physics or nuclear spectroscopy can profit from fast, efficient, and radiation-resistant fission fragment (FF) detectors. When such experiments are performed in-beam in intense thermal neutron beams, additional constraints arise in terms of target-detector interface, beam-induced background, etc. Therefore, wide gap semi-conductor detectors were tested with the aim of developing innovative instrumentation for such applications. The detector characterization was performed with mass- and energy-separated fission fragment beams at the ILL (Institut Laue Langevin) LOHENGRIN spectrometer. Two single crystal diamonds, three polycrystalline and one diamond-on-iridium as well as a silicon carbide detector were characterized as solid state ionization chamber for FF detection. Timing measurements were performed with a 500-µm thick single crystal diamond detector read out by a broadband amplifier. A timing resolution of ∼10.2 ps RMS was obtained for FF with mass A = 98 at 90 MeV kinetic energy. Using a spectroscopic preamplifier developed at INFN-Milano, the energy resolution measured for the same FF was found to be slightly better for a ∼50-µm thin single crystal diamond detector (∼1.4% RMS) than for the 500-µm thick one (∼1.6% RMS), while a value of 3.4% RMS was obtained with the 400-µm silicon carbide detector. The Pulse Height Defect (PHD), which is significant in silicon detectors, was also investigated with the two single crystal diamond detectors. The comparison with results from α and triton measurements enabled us to conclude that PHD leads to ∼50% loss of the initial generated charge carriers for FF. In view of these results, a possible detector configuration and integration for in-beam experiments has been discussed.

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“…SiC-detectors showed stable characteristics over 1800 s neutron irradiation at a flux of about 9×10 8 n cm − 2 s −1 (thereof about one third thermal) [28].…”

Section: Detector Characterization Under Neutron Fluxmentioning

confidence: 98%

Characterization of Diamond and Silicon Carbide Detectors With Fission Fragments

et al. 2021

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“…Their main advantages are their fast response, their stability versus radiations, their high energy resolution, their ability to discriminate between neutrons and , their high thermal conductivity and their low semiconductor defect concentration. In addition, thermal and fast neutrons are able to be detected by adding Neutron Converter Layer (NCL) and /or by considering threshold energy reactions for this type of detectors [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Section: Introduction and Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thermal neutron measurements with these SiC-based diodes have been achieved at MINERVE Zero Power Reactor at CEA Cadarache in France for a maximal neutron flux of around 9.4 ×10 8 n•cm -2 •s -1 including 31 % of thermal neutrons [2]. A fluence study in order to demonstrate the stability under radiation has been performed at the BR1 research reactor at Moll in Belgium for a maximum fluence of around 2.0 ×10 13 n•cm -2 [3].…”

Section: Introduction and Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

3-D thermal and radiation-matter interaction simulations of a SiC solid-state detector for neutron flux measurements in JSI TRIGA Mark II research reactor

et al. 2021

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Neutron detection is a relevant topic in the field of nuclear instrumentation. It is at the heart of the concerns for fusion applications (neutron diagnostics, measurements inside the Test Blanket Modules TBM) as well as for fission applications (in-core and ex-core monitoring, neutron mapping or safety applications in research reactors). Moreover, due to the even more harsh conditions of the future experimental reactors such as the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) or International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), neutron detectors need to be adapted to high neutron and γ fluxes, high nuclear heating rates and high temperatures. Consequently, radiation and temperature hardened sensors with fast response, high energy resolution and stability in a mixed neutron and γ environment are required. All these requirements make wide-bandgap semiconductors and, more precisely, Silicon Carbide (SiC) serious candidates due to their intrinsic characteristics in such extreme environments. Thus, since the last decades, SiC-based detectors are developed and studied for neutron detection in various nuclear facilities. In this paper, a SiC-based neutron detector is 3-D designed and studied through thermal and radiation-matter interaction numerical simulations for a future irradiation campaign at the Jožef Stefan Institute TRIGA Mark II research reactor in Slovenia. Firstly, this paper presents the scientific background and issues of our SiC-based detectors. In a second part the 3-D geometry is shown. Thereafter, the 3-D numerical thermal simulation results are reported. Finally, the 3-D numerical radiation/matter interaction simulations results are presented.

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“…A comparison between the performance of diamond and SiC devices for neutron detection has been reported [23,17,24]. For thermal neutrons, single crystal CVD diamond devices showed better neutron-gamma discrimination, although as pointed out by the authors, that was much owed to the use of a more effective thermal neutron conversion layer in the diamond structures, which led to a higher energy deposition within the detection volume [24]. Despite the larger atomic displacement threshold, diamond detectors showed polarization effects for neutron fluxes above 10 9 n cm −2 s −1 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is possible with materials like SiC and diamond thanks to the low atomic number of their constituents [14,64,23]. It is also noted that neutron-gamma discrimination in SiC SBD detectors can be tuned by changing the working bias [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silicon carbide diodes for neutron detection

Coutinho,

Torres,

Capan

et al. 2020

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Comparison Between Silicon Carbide and Diamond for Thermal Neutron Detection at Room Temperature

Cited by 13 publications

References 31 publications

Characterization of Diamond and Silicon Carbide Detectors With Fission Fragments

Characterization of Diamond and Silicon Carbide Detectors With Fission Fragments

3-D thermal and radiation-matter interaction simulations of a SiC solid-state detector for neutron flux measurements in JSI TRIGA Mark II research reactor

Silicon carbide diodes for neutron detection

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