High aspect ratio composite structures with 48.5% thermal neutron detection efficiency

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inThermal neutron detection using a silicon pad detector and 6LiF removable converters Rev. Sci. Instrum. 84, 033503 (2013); 10.1063/1.4794768Self-powered micro-structured solid state neutron detector with very low leakage current and high efficiency Development of a thermal neutron detector based on scintillating fibers and silicon photomultipliers Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 093503 (2010); 10.1063/1.3480995 6:1 aspect ratio silicon pillar based thermal neutron detector filled with B 10

Semiconductor neutron detectors

“…A sketch of this sensor is reported in Fig.3. The efficiency ranges from 22% for 26µm high pillars to 48.5% for 50µm high pillars, with a a low level discrimination set to 30 keV at 0 V bias [12]. Similar perforated structures with 10 B converter have been reported by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA) [15][16] [17].…”

Enhanced lithiation and fracture behavior of silicon mesoscale pillars via atomic layer coatings and geometry design

“…To our knowledge, this is the highest aspect ratio silicon micropillars reported so far for investigation of lithiation behavior, which mechanistically ensures plane strain condition near the pillar top without having to take into account the substrate confinement effect. Similar pillars have been popularly used as thermal neutron detector materials with excellent performance [22]. The penetration ability of ALD technique to very high aspect ratio structures further makes these studies possible.…”

Experimental determination of gamma-ray discrimination in pillar-structured thermal neutron detectors under high gamma-ray flux

“…The pillar pitch of 4 μm (2 μm pillar diameter and 2 μm pillar spacing) is designed to allow a high probability of interaction between the energetic ions and the semiconductor pillars, created by nuclear reaction of the neutron with 10 B [4]. We have reported a 48.5% of intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency using this design [7]. Fig.…”

“…In order to find alternatives, solid-state thermal neutron detectors have been investigated that utilize various architectures and material combinations [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Many solid-state thermal neutron detectors are more sensitive to gamma-rays compared to helium-3 tubes, which can be an issue because the most nuclear materials emit 10 or more times as many gamma-rays as neutrons.…”

“…The geometrical constraints on the converter material thickness are decoupled from the limitation of the ion track length [4][5][6][7]. The 10 B thickness is defined by the pillar height, chosen as 50 μm, which is three times the mean free path of thermal neutrons in 10 B.…”