Thermal neutron detection with pyrolytic boron nitride

D. S. McGregor; T. C. Unruh; W. J. McNeil

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.002

Thermal neutron detection with pyrolytic boron nitride

D. S. McGregor
, T. C. Unruh
, W. J. McNeil

Nuclear Science & Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

Commercially acquired samples of pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) were tested as potential thermal neutron detectors. The pBN material has a high content of ¹⁰B (19.9% natural abundance), allowing for the excitation of charge carriers from the ¹⁰B(n,α)⁷Li reaction. Samples 5 mm×5 mm×1 mm thick with conductive contacts applied to both sides were operated as traditional planar semiconductor detectors. Being a solid, the material is attractive as a possible solid-state neutron detector. The devices were tested in a diffracted neutron beam from a nuclear reactor. Experimental results from the prototype devices are reported.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	530-533
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	591
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.002
State	Published - Jul 1 2008

Keywords

Semiconductor neutron detectors
Solid-state neutron detectors

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10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.002

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title = "Thermal neutron detection with pyrolytic boron nitride",

abstract = "Commercially acquired samples of pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) were tested as potential thermal neutron detectors. The pBN material has a high content of 10B (19.9\% natural abundance), allowing for the excitation of charge carriers from the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction. Samples 5 mm×5 mm×1 mm thick with conductive contacts applied to both sides were operated as traditional planar semiconductor detectors. Being a solid, the material is attractive as a possible solid-state neutron detector. The devices were tested in a diffracted neutron beam from a nuclear reactor. Experimental results from the prototype devices are reported.",

keywords = "Semiconductor neutron detectors, Solid-state neutron detectors",

author = "McGregor, \{D. S.\} and Unruh, \{T. C.\} and McNeil, \{W. J.\}",

year = "2008",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.002",

language = "English",

volume = "591",

pages = "530--533",

journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermal neutron detection with pyrolytic boron nitride

AU - McGregor, D. S.

AU - Unruh, T. C.

AU - McNeil, W. J.

PY - 2008/7/1

Y1 - 2008/7/1

N2 - Commercially acquired samples of pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) were tested as potential thermal neutron detectors. The pBN material has a high content of 10B (19.9% natural abundance), allowing for the excitation of charge carriers from the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction. Samples 5 mm×5 mm×1 mm thick with conductive contacts applied to both sides were operated as traditional planar semiconductor detectors. Being a solid, the material is attractive as a possible solid-state neutron detector. The devices were tested in a diffracted neutron beam from a nuclear reactor. Experimental results from the prototype devices are reported.

AB - Commercially acquired samples of pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) were tested as potential thermal neutron detectors. The pBN material has a high content of 10B (19.9% natural abundance), allowing for the excitation of charge carriers from the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction. Samples 5 mm×5 mm×1 mm thick with conductive contacts applied to both sides were operated as traditional planar semiconductor detectors. Being a solid, the material is attractive as a possible solid-state neutron detector. The devices were tested in a diffracted neutron beam from a nuclear reactor. Experimental results from the prototype devices are reported.

KW - Semiconductor neutron detectors

KW - Solid-state neutron detectors

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/45449087704

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.002

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.002

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:45449087704

SN - 0168-9002

VL - 591

SP - 530

EP - 533

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

IS - 3

ER -

Thermal neutron detection with pyrolytic boron nitride

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Keywords

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