Ultrawide bandgap semiconductor h-BN for direct detection of fast neutrons

Li, J.; Tingsuwatit, Attasit; Alemoush, Zaid; Lin, Jing Yu; Jiang, Hong Xing

doi:10.1063/5.0232896

Ultrawide bandgap semiconductor h-BN for direct detection of fast neutrons

Journal Article · Fri Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2025 · APL Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0232896· OSTI ID:2491427

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Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (United States); Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (United States)

III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductors have contributed on the grandest scale to many technological advances in lighting, displays, and power electronics. Among III-nitrides, BN has another unique application as a solid-state neutron detector material because the isotope B-10 is among a few elements that have an unusually large interaction cross section with thermal neutrons. A record high thermal neutron detection efficiency of 60% has been achieved by B-10 enriched h-BN detectors of 100 μm in thickness in our group. However, direct detection of fast neutrons with energies above 1 MeV is highly challenging due to the extremely low interaction cross section of fast neutrons with matter. We report the successful attainment of 0.4 mm thick freestanding h-BN 4"-diameter wafers, which enabled the demonstration of h-BN fast neutron detectors capable of delivering a detection efficiency of 2.2% in response to a bare AmBe neutron source. Furthermore, it was shown that the energy information of incoming fast neutrons is retained in the neutron pulse-height spectra. A comparison of characteristics between h-BN fast and thermal neutron detectors is summarized. Neutron detectors are vital diagnostic instruments for nuclear and fusion reactor power and safety monitoring, oil field exploration, neutron imaging and therapy, as well as for plasma and material science research. With the outstanding attributes resulting from its ultrawide bandgap (UWBG), including the ability to operate at extreme conditions of high power, voltage, and temperature, the availability of h-BN UWBG semiconductor detectors with the capability of simultaneously detecting thermal and fast neutrons with high efficiencies is expected to open unprecedented applications that are not possible to attain by any other types of neutron detectors.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

Sponsoring Organization:: AIP; USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)

Grant/Contract Number:: AR0001552

OSTI ID:: 2491427

Journal Information:: APL Materials, Journal Name: APL Materials Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 13; ISSN 2166-532X

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

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BN
BN neutron detector
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Hexagonal boron nitride
elastic scattering
fast neutron detector
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h-BN quasi-bulk crystals
large-diameter h-BN
neutron detectors
neutron energy
nuclear fusion
optical materials
semiconductors
solid-state neutron detector
thermal neutrons
thick h-BN

Ultrawide bandgap semiconductor h-BN for direct detection of fast neutrons

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