Development of an improved detector for krypton-81 and other noble-gas isotopes
Phase 1 studies focused on the annealing (transient melting) of silicon and germanium targets with a krypton-fluoride (KrF) excimer laser. A suitable target of a semiconducting material--as a means of storing noble gas atoms--is a key component of a device called the RISTRON for counting isotopes of a noble gas. A means for isotopic selective counting of atoms such as 39Ar for ocean water circulation studies and 81Kr for groundwater and ice-cap dating would be of considerable interest to earth scientists. In the RISTRON, ions are created by resonance ionization of neutral krypton atoms released from one of the targets by pulsed laser melting, and these ions are implanted in a second target after isotopic enrichment. The studies evaluated the space charge or plasma effects created as an undesirable by-product of the annealing of a semiconductor with a pulsed excimer laser. The studies showed that the space charge produced when either silicon or germanium is annealed with a KrF laser can be removed with modest electric fields in less than one microsecond.
- Research Organization:
- Pellissippi International, Knoxville, TN (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5283727
- Report Number(s):
- PB-91-225722/XAB; CNN: NSF-ISI87-60496
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Sponsored by National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Div. of Industrial Science and Technological Innovation
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
GROUND WATER
ISOTOPE DATING
ICE CAPS
RADIOMETRIC SURVEYS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
SEAS
ARGON 39
GERMANIUM
KRYPTON 81
OCEANIC CIRCULATION
RARE GASES
SILICON
SPACE CHARGE
AGE ESTIMATION
ARGON ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ICE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KRYPTON ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SEMIMETALS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540311* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- Radiometric Techniques- (1990-)
440101 - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments