USES OF SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS IN HEALTH-PHYSICS MONITORING
Semiconductor detectors offer the health physicist a number of advantages: the detecting medium is very dense compared with a gas; the energy expended per ion pair3.6 ev in Si-is very low; they operate from simple power supplies; and they are rugged and have short response times. The simplest application is to alpha -contamination monitoring, since alpha particles are both energetic and easily stopped. To measure beta and gamma rays, detectors with the thickest depletion layers are needed; in both cases, ionition is caused by electrons that require a stopping length of approximately 1 mm of silicon. Neutrons can be detected by means of neutron-sensitive coatings such as B/sup 10/ , which when bombarded by a neutron produces a 1.47-Mev alpha particle of sufficient penetration to be detectable. Higher-purity silicon is needed for all junction applications in health physics, providing thicker depletion layers and smaller capacities. Improvement in pulse size and in detection efficiency could then be attained. (B.O.G.)
- Research Organization:
- Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., Chalk River, Ont.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-025727
- OSTI ID:
- 4140453
- Journal Information:
- Nucleonics (U.S.) Ceased publication, Journal Name: Nucleonics (U.S.) Ceased publication Vol. Vol: 18, No. 10; ISSN NUCLA
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
SILICON JUNCTIONS AS PARTICLE SPECTROMETERS
SCINTILLATORS AND SEMICONDUCTORS. SCINTILLATION THEORY. NEW SCINTILLATORS. PHOTOMULTIPLIER DEVELOPMENTS. RECORDING PARTICLE TRACKS WITH THE LUMINESCENT CHAMBER. SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
Related Subjects
ALPHA PARTICLES
BERYLLIUM 10
BETA PARTICLES
CAPACITORS
COATING
CONTAMINATION
ELECTRONS
ENERGY
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
FILMS
GAMMA RADIATION
IMPURITIES
IONIZATION
IONS
MONITORING
NEUTRON DETECTION
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PULSES
RADIATION DETECTORS
RESOLUTION
SEMICONDUCTORS
SENSITIVITY
SILICON
USES