Solid-state Thermal Neutron Detectors Research Articles

SiLiF Neutron Counters to Monitor Nuclear Materials in the MICADO Project.

In the framework of the MICADO (Measurement and Instrumentation for Cleaning And Decommissioning Operations) European Union (EU) project, aimed at the full digitization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste management, a set of 32 solid state thermal neutron detectors named SiLiF has been built and characterized. MICADO encompasses a complete active and passive characterization of the radwaste drums with neutrons and gamma rays, followed by a longer-term monitoring phase. The SiLiF detectors are suitable for the monitoring of nuclear materials and can be used around radioactive waste drums possibly containing small quantities of actinides, as well as around spent fuel casks in interim storage or during transportation. Suitable polyethylene moderators can be exploited to better shape the detector response to the expected neutron spectrum, according to Monte Carlo simulations that were performed. These detectors were extensively tested with an AmBe neutron source, and the results show a quite uniform and reproducible behavior.

The gamma and neutron monitor counters for the MICADO project

In the framework of the MICADO (Measurement and Instrumentation for Cleaning And Decommissioning Operations) European Union (EU) project, aimed at the full digitization of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste (radwaste) management, a set of 32 solid state thermal neutron detectors, named SiLiF, and 36 gamma-ray counters based on a scintillating fiber readout at each end by a silicon photomultiplier, named SciFi, have been built and characterized. MICADO project encompasses a complete active and passive characterization of the radwaste drums with neutrons and gamma rays, followed by a longer-term monitoring phase. The detectors described are suitable for the monitoring of nuclear materials and can be used around radioactive waste drums possibly containing small quantities of actinides, as well as around spent fuel casks in interim storage or during transportation. Suitable polyethylene moderators, for the SiLiF detectors, can be exploited to better shape the detector response to the expected neutron spectrum, according to Monte Carlo simulations that were performed. The SciFi detectors were thoroughly tested with a 22Na and a 137Cs gamma-ray sources. Both detectors described were tested with an intense AmBe source of neutron and gamma ray. The results are satisfactory and show a quite uniform and reproducible behavior. The next step will be the test in a real environment.

Design and performance considerations for dual-sided microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors

Thin-film-coated solid-state thermal neutron detectors were replaced in recent decades with the Microstructured Semiconductor Neutron Detector (MSND) technology. The basic device structure of the MSND involves micro-sized trenches that are etched into a vertically-oriented pvn-junction diode that are backfilled with a neutron converting material. Neutrons absorbed within the converting material induce fission of the parent nucleus, producing a pair of energetic charged-particle reaction products that can be counted by the diode. The deep-etched microstructures of the MSND yield good neutron-absorption efficiency and reaction-product counting efficiency, resulting in a 6-10x improvement in intrinsic thermal-neutron detection efficiency over thin-film-coated devices. Performance of present-day MSNDs are reaching an efficiency plateau; streaming paths between the conversion-material backfilled trenches, allow a considerable fraction of neutrons to pass through the device undetected. Dual-Sided Microstructured Semiconductor Neutron Detectors (DS-MSNDs) have been developed that utilize a complementary second set of trenches on the back-side of the device to capture streaming neutrons. This work investigates several of the fundamental design structures that can be etched into the semiconductor material, including repeated front-side and back-side patterns and inverse microfeature patterns. Results from MCNP6 simulations of DS-MSNDs show that intrinsic thermal-neutron detection efficiencies are often double that of their MSND counterparts and greater than 80% intrinsic thermal-neutron detection efficiency is theoretically possible with a 1.5-mm thick device.

Electrophoretic Deposition of 10B Nano/Micro Particles in Deep Silicon Trenches for the Fabrication of Solid State Thermal Neutron Detectors

We present a cost effective and scalable approach to fabricate solid state thermal neutron detectors. Electrophoretic deposition technique is used to fill deep silicon trenches with 10B nanoparticles instead of conventional chemical vapor deposition process. Deep silicon trenches with width of 5-6 μm and depth of 60-65 μm were fabricated in a p-type Si (110) wafer using wet chemical etching method instead of DRIE method. These silicon trenches were converted into continuous p-n junction by the standard phosphorus diffusion process. 10B micro/nano particle suspension in ethyl alcohol was used for electrophoretic deposition of particles in deep trenches and iodine was used to change the zeta potential of the particles. The measured effective boron nanoparticles density inside the trenches was estimated to be 0.7 gm cm-3. Under the self-biased condition, the fabricated device showed the intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency of 20.9% for a 2.5 × 2.5 mm2 device area.

Boron-10 nanoparticles filled silicon trenches for thermal neutron detection application

This paper reports on the use of 10B nano/microparticles in order to fill microstructures of deep trenches fabricated in n-type Si (110) bulk wafers for the development of solid-state thermal neutron detectors. The high aspect-ratio trenches were fabricated in the wafer by wet etching, with a trench width of 3.5 to 6 μm and a maximum depth of 120 μm. Boron was diffused at a temperature of ∼1000 °C in order to convert the entirety of the delicate Si microstructures into a p+-n junction diode. The deep trenches of the diode were completely filled with 10B nanoparticles using a simple room-temperature process involving the pumping and venting of a vacuum chamber containing the etched wafer with 10B nanoparticles atop. The simple filling process was reproduced consistently, and the best 2.5 × 2.5 mm2 device demonstrated an intrinsic thermal neutron (En < 0.5 eV) detection efficiency of 32.2 ± 1.5% under a self-biased condition. This result is promising as it demonstrates a complete, low-cost fabrication process for the development of efficient thermal neutron detectors.

Solid-state neutron detectors based on thickness scalable hexagonal boron nitride

This paper reports on the device processing and characterization of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) based solid-state thermal neutron detectors, where hBN thickness varied from 2.5 to 15 μm. These natural hBN epilayers (with 19.9% 10B) were grown by a low pressure chemical vapor deposition process. Complete dry processing was adopted for the fabrication of these metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration detectors. These detectors showed intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency values of 0.86%, 2.4%, 3.15%, and 4.71% for natural hBN thickness values of 2.5, 7.5, 10, and 15 μm, respectively. Measured efficiencies are very close (≥92%) to the theoretical maximum efficiencies for corresponding hBN thickness values for these detectors. This clearly shows the hBN thickness scalability of these detectors. A 15 μm thick hBN based MSM detector is expected to yield an efficiency of 21.4% if enriched hBN (with ∼100% 10B) is used instead of natural hBN. These results demonstrate that the fabrication of hBN thickness scalable highly efficient thermal neutron detectors is possible.

Growth of hexagonal boron nitride on (111) Si for deep UV photonics and thermal neutron detection

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) growth was carried out on (111) Si substrates at a temperature of 1350 °C using a cold wall chemical vapor deposition system. The hBN phase of the deposited films was identified by the characteristic Raman peak at 1370 cm−1 with a full width at half maximum of 25 cm−1, corresponding to the in-plane stretch of B and N atoms. Chemical bonding states and composition of the hBN films were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; the extracted B/N ratio was 1.03:1, which is 1:1 within the experimental error. The fabricated metal-hBN-metal devices demonstrate a strong deep UV (DUV) response. Further, the hBN growth on the vertical (111) surfaces of parallel trenches fabricated in (110) Si was explored to achieve a thermal neutron detector. These results demonstrate that hBN-based detectors represent a promising approach towards the development of DUV photodetectors and efficient solid-state thermal neutron detectors.

Development of a modular directional and spectral neutron detection system using solid-state detectors

A detection system using room-temperature, microstructured solid-state thermal neutron detectors with very low leakage current has been developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with the ability to provide positional and spectral information about an unknown neutron source. The Directional and Spectral Neutron Detection System (DSNDS) utilizes a set of small-but-scalable, zero-bias solid-state thermal neutron detectors which have demonstrated high thermal neutron efficiency and adequate gamma insensitivity. The DSNDS can gather spectral information about an unknown neutron source with a relatively small number of detectors, simplifying the detector electronics and minimizing cost; however, the DSNDS is modular in design, providing the capability to increase the detection efficiency and angular resolution. The system used in this paper was comprised of a stack of five high-density polyethylene (HDPE) disks with a thickness of 5cm and a diameter of 30cm, the middle disk containing 16 detectors positioned as one internal (moderated) and one external (unmoderated) ring of solid-state neutron detectors. These two detector rings provide the ability to determine the directionality of a neutron source. The system gathers spectral information about a neutron source in two ways: by measuring the relative responses of the internal ring of detectors as well as measuring the ratio of the internal-to-external detector responses. Experiments were performed with variable neutron spectra: a 252Cf spontaneous fission neutron source which was HDPE moderated, HDPE reflected, lead (Pb) shielded, and bare in order to benchmark the system for spectral sensitivity. Simulations were performed in order to characterize the neutron spectra corresponding to each of the source configurations and showed agreement with experimental measurements. The DSNDS demonstrates the ability to determine the relative angle of the source and the hardness of the neutron spectrum. By using the single HDPE disk with two detector rings and stacking four moderator disks, the intrinsic efficiency for 252Cf spectrum of such detector is about 0.4%±0.04%.

Scalable large-area solid-state neutron detector with continuous p–n junction and extremely low leakage current

We report on the fabrication and characterization of solid-state thermal neutron detectors with detection areas up to 16cm2 that require only a single preamplifier for data acquisition. These detectors consist of a honeycomb-like micro-structured Si diode with boron-10 filled deep holes. A continuous p–n junction formed over the entire surface of the microstructure helps to achieve a low leakage current density of ~6.1×10−9A/cm2 at −1V for a 2.5×2.5mm2 detector. This low leakage current results in low electronic noise, which enables the fabrication of large-area detectors. An intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency of up to 26% was measured for a 2.5×2.5mm2 detector module and up to 24% was measured for a 1cm2 detector module. These measurements were obtained under zero bias voltage using a moderated californium-252 source. The relative efficiency remains almost the same when scaling the detector area up to 8cm2 by connecting 1cm2 detector modules in series. However, it decreases to 0.89 and 0.82, respectively, for 12 and 16cm2. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate the promise of using boron filled micro-structured Si diodes as a cost effective alternative to the helium-3 based neutron detection technology and the potential of fabricating scalable large-area solid-state neutron detectors that are desirable for many applications.

Fabrication and characterization of solid-state thermal neutron detectors based on hexagonal boron nitride epilayers

Solid-state thermal neutron detectors with improved detection efficiencies are highly sought after for many applications. Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) epilayers have been synthesized by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire substrates. Important material parameters including the mobility-lifetime (μτ) product and the thermal neutron absorption length (λ) have been measured. For hBN epilayers with a room temperature resistivity of 5.3×1010Ωcm, the measured μτ product of electrons is 4.46×10−8cm2/V and of holes is 7.07×10−9cm2/V. The measured λ values are 277μm and 77μm for natural and 10B enriched hBN epilayers, respectively. Metal–semiconductor–metal detectors incorporating 0.3µm thick hBN epilayers were fabricated. The reaction product pulse-height spectra were measured under thermal neutron irradiation produced by a 252Cf source moderated by high density polyethylene block. The measured pulse-height spectra revealed distinguishable peaks corresponding to the product energies of 10B and neutron reaction with the 0.84MeV 7Li peak being the most prominent. The detectors exhibited negligible responses to gamma rays produced by 137Cs decay. Our results indicate that hBN epilayers are highly promising for realizing highly sensitive solid-state thermal neutron detectors with expected advantages resulting from semiconductor technologies, including compact size, light weight, ability to integrate with other functional devices, and low cost.

Optimizing diode thickness for thin-film solid state thermal neutron detectors

In this work, we investigate the optimal thickness of a semiconductor diode for thin-film solid state thermal neutron detectors. We evaluate several diode materials, Si, CdTe, GaAs, C (diamond), and ZnO, and two neutron converter materials, 10B and 6LiF. Investigating a coplanar diode/converter geometry, we determine the minimum semiconductor thickness needed to achieve maximum neutron detection efficiency. By keeping the semiconductor thickness to a minimum, gamma rejection is kept as high as possible. In this way, we optimize detector performance for different thin-film semiconductor materials.

Towards high efficiency solid-state thermal and fast neutron detectors

Variety of applications of fast neutron detection utilize thermal neutron detectors and moderators. Examples include homeland security applications such as portal monitors and nuclear safeguards which employ passive systems for detection of fissile materials. These applications mostly rely on gas filled detectors such as 3He, BF3 or plastic scintillators and require high voltage for operation. Recently there was considerable progress in the development of solid-state neutron detectors. These operate by detection of charged particles emitted from neutron interactions with a converter material. In order to increase neutron detection efficiency to a usable level, the thickness of the converter material must exceed the range of the charged particles in the converter, which limits the efficiency of planar detectors to several percent. To overcome this limitation three dimensional structured solid-state devices are considered where the converter can be thicker but still allow the charged particles to escape into the semiconductor. In the research described here this was accomplished by a semiconductor device that resembles a honeycomb with hexagonal holes and thin silicon walls filled with the converter material. Such design can theoretically achieve about 45% thermal neutron detection efficiency, experimentally about 21% was observed with a partially filled detector. Such detectors can be fabricated in variety of sizes enabling designs of directional fast neutron detectors. Other converter materials that allow direct detection of fast neutrons were also considered by both simulation and experiments. Because the semiconductor thickness is less than a few hundred microns, the efficiency of these detectors to γ-ray(s) is very low.With further developments these new solid-state neutron detectors can replace gas ionization based detectors in most applications.

Hexagonal boron nitride epitaxial layers as neutron detector materials

Abstract Micro-strip metal–semiconductor–metal detectors for thermal neutron sensing were fabricated from hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) epilayers synthesized by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Experimental measurements indicated that the thermal neutron absorption coefficient and length of natural hBN epilayers are about 0.00361 μm−1 and 277 μm, respectively. A continuous irradiation with a thermal neutron beam generated an appreciable current response in hBN detectors, corresponding to an effective conversion efficiency approaching ∼80% for absorbed neutrons. Our results indicate that hBN semiconductors would enable the development of essentially ideal solid-state thermal neutron detectors in which both neutron capture and carrier collection are accomplished in the same hBN semiconductor. These solid-state detectors have the potential to replace 3He gas detectors, which faces the very serious issue of 3He gas shortage.