4H-SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes for Efficient Thermal Neutron Detection.

Robert Bernat,Željko Pastuović,Ivana Capan,Takahiro Makino,Luka Bakrač,Vladimir Radulović,Luka Snoj,Takeshi Ohshima

doi:10.3390/ma14175105

Abstract

In this work, we present the improved efficiency of 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes-based detectors equipped with the thermal neutron converters. This is achieved by optimizing the thermal neutron converter thicknesses. Simulations of the optimal thickness of thermal neutron converters have been performed using two Monte Carlo codes (Monte Carlo N–Particle Transport Code and Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter). We have used 6LiF and 10B4C for the thermal neutron converter material. We have achieved the thermal neutron efficiency of 4.67% and 2.24% with 6LiF and 10B4C thermal neutron converters, respectively.

Highlights

Neutron detection is an integral part of the global effort to prevent the propagation as well as the illicit trafficking of nuclear material (U-233, U-235, and Pu-239) at international border crossings
We have recently demonstrated that simple detection devices based on 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs), equipped with the thermal neutron converter films, have a measurable neutron response, which varies linearly with the incident neutron flux [1,5]
We present enhancement of the detector system design, which led to maximizing the neutron detection sensitivity of 4H-SiC SBD detector

Summary

Introduction

Neutron detection is an integral part of the global effort to prevent the propagation as well as the illicit trafficking of nuclear material (U-233, U-235, and Pu-239) at international border crossings. SiC has attracted a lot of attention as an active material in semiconductor-based neutron radiation detectors [1,2,3,4]. We have recently demonstrated that simple detection devices based on 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs), equipped with the thermal neutron converter films, have a measurable neutron response, which varies linearly with the incident neutron flux [1,5]. We present enhancement of the detector system design, which led to maximizing the neutron detection sensitivity of 4H-SiC SBD detector. The optimized converter layer is paired with the 4H-SiC SBD in a robust detector assembly, which can be vacuumed to maximize the detection efficiency of charged reaction products

Methods

Results

Conclusion