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Title: DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLED PITCH NANO ARRAYS FOR APPLICATION IN NANO SCALE BASED PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS

Conference ·
OSTI ID:983872

Proportional counters (PCs) are a type of gas-filled radiation detection device capable of distinguishing between a wide range of radiation types and energies. In this application, however, these devices are limited by high power consumption and high bias potentials required to operate in the proportional detection regime. Previous work performed with a single carbon nanotube (CNT) anode has shown that nanoscale-based PCs can operate at bias potentials of 10V rather than the 1000V range required for PCs. ''Proof of concept'' experiments with a single CNT as the anode exhibit a small detection volume and consequently required long count times (24 hrs). To make this a practical detector technology (i.e., decrease the count time), the effective detection volume has to be increased. Experimental data and electric field modeling show that if the pitch (spacing between individual nanotubes) of the arrays is too small, the electric field of the individual nanostructure will collapse and the nanoscale array will behaved as a single macro-scale field with the associated high bias potential required to reach the proportional region. Electric-field modeling of the affect of nanostructure pitch on the electric field distribution of these arrays predicted that a pitch of about two-and-a-times the height of the nanostructure was required to retain the nanoscale electric field. In this work, we report on the fabrication and electrical property testing of nanoscale arrays with a range of controlled pitches.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC09-08SR22470
OSTI ID:
983872
Report Number(s):
SRNL-L2200-2010-00072; TRN: US201014%%1863
Resource Relation:
Conference: INMM 51st Annual Meeting
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English