Diamond Detector System for Ion-beam Diagnostics
- Applied Diamond, Inc
Heavy-ion beams are used extensively in nuclear physics research advancing a deeper understanding of atomic nuclei and nuclear reactions and in production of rare isotopes which are finding wide acceptance in nuclear medicine. The effective operation of ion-beam facilities requires the development of advanced ion-beam diagnostics and controls, providing precise identification of ion species in a broad energy range and fast beam monitoring for accelerator tuning and protection. Currently, most charged-particle detectors used in nuclear physics and space exploration are made of ΔE−E radiation telescopes. In order to identify low energy heavy ions (down to ~1 MeV/nu) having very short ranges, the first ΔE-detector must be extremely thin, with a thickness less than 10 μm. Common silicon radiation detectors are extremely sensitive to radiation damage, especially in intense heavy-ion beams. Diamond’s unique combination of radiation tolerance, stability over a wide temperature range and temperature-independence of its electronic performance make it the material of choice for harsh environments (high radiation doses, aggressive ambient, high temperatures) in nuclear physics, high energy physics, and nuclear energy applications. Diamond radiation detectors have much longer life-times compared to radiation detectors made from other materials like silicon or plastic scintillators, and they have found acceptance in an ever-widening array of applications. Recent progress in synthetic diamond CVD growth significantly improved its electronic quality and reduced the cost thus making diamond devices increasingly commercially attractive. Applied Diamond Inc. proposes to make and characterize a solid-state diamond radiation detector system (DRDS) from several diamond telescopes for identification of a spectrum of ions from light to heavy (from sub-MeV/nu to ~500 MeV/nu). Specifically, it will include an ultra-thin single crystal diamond (SCD) ΔE-detector for the low energy spectrum. In Phase I, we successfully improved the production processes for fabrication of ultra-thin single SCD membranes and achieved thickness down to 5 μm and thickness uniformity of ±7%. Handling procedures for ultra-thin diamond membranes were improved allowing their successful metallization and packaging on PCBs. ΔE-E telescope prototypes were designed and tested. The telescope prototype is attached to an actuator allowing fast scanning of the beam core and the halo around the beam. Phase II goals include development of ultra-thin diamond sensors having thickness below 5 μm, multi-stack diamond telescopes extending the energy ranges, ultra-thin diamond multi-strip diamond detectors with good spatial uniformity allowing spectroscopic and position measurements. Development of a diamond telescope will address the current needs of DOE supported nuclear research at the Cyclotron Institute/TAMU and FRIB/MSU and could be useful for other DOE accelerator facilities. Calibration and benchmarking of this diamond telescope system will be carried out at K500 Cyclotron/TAMU and, finally, at FRIB/MSU.
- Research Organization:
- Applied Diamond, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0022487
- OSTI ID:
- 1993831
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-Applied-Diamond-SBIR-9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Applications of high-energy heavy-ions from superconducting cyclotrons
Cyclotron based nuclear science: Progress report, April 1, 1986-March 31, 1987