Response of alpha particles in hexagonal boron nitride neutron detectors

Doan, T. C.; Li, J.; Lin, J. Y.; Jiang, H. X.

doi:10.1063/1.4984112

Response of alpha particles in hexagonal boron nitride neutron detectors

Journal Article · Wed May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4984112· OSTI ID:1466219

Doan, T. C. ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; ^[2]

Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Texas Tech University
Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Here, thermal neutron detectors were fabricated from ¹⁰B enriched h-BN epilayers of different thicknesses. The charge carrier generation and energy loss mechanisms as well as the range of alpha daughter particles generated by the nuclear reaction between thermal neutrons and ¹⁰B atoms in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) thermal neutron detectors have been investigated via their responses to alpha particles from a ²¹⁰Po source. The ranges of alpha particles in h-BN were found to be anisotropic, which increase with the angle (θ) between the trajectory of the alpha particles and c-axis of the h-BN epilayer following (cos θ)^-1 and are 4.6 and 5.6 μm, respectively, for the alpha particles with energies of 1.47 MeV and 1.78 MeV at θ = 0. However, the energy loss of an alpha particle inside h-BN is determined by the number of layers it passes through with a constant energy loss rate of 107 eV per layer due to the layered structure of h-BN. Roughly 5 electron-hole pairs are generated when an alpha particle passes through each layer. It was also shown that the durability of h-BN thermal neutron detectors is excellent based on the calculation of boron vacancies generated (or ¹⁰B atoms consumed) by neutron absorption. Finally, the results obtained here provide useful insights into the mechanisms of energy loss and charge carrier generation inside h-BN detectors and possible approaches to further improve the overall performance of h-BN thermal neutron detectors, as well as the ultimate spatial resolution of future neutron imaging devices or cameras based on h-BN epilayers.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF) (United States); USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002927

OSTI ID:: 1466219

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1361910

Journal Information:: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 110; ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Response of alpha particles in hexagonal boron nitride neutron detectors

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