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Title: Gallium nitride (GaN) devices as a platform technology for radiation hard inertial confinement fusion diagnostics

Journal Article · · Review of Scientific Instruments
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5039407 · OSTI ID:1483539
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Nevada National Security Site, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
  2. Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  3. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is undergoing more detailed research to increase neutron yield and will require high resolution imaging near the target. Neutron damage to diagnostics remains a serious issue in understanding and achieving ICF. We have demonstrated that Gallium Nitride (GaN) optoelectronic devices have exceptional neutron radiation hardness, by systematic testing of neutron radiation effects in GaN devices and materials with elevated neutron fluence levels and a broad neutron energy spectrum. During the 2013-2017 run cycles at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), we irradiated various GaN materials and devices with fast and thermal plus resonance neutrons at several beamlines. This work presents a radiation hardness study for Aluminum Gallium Nitride and Gallium Nitride (AlGaN/GaN) deep UV LEDs irradiated at the LANSCE 4FP60R beamline. The fluence level was up to 2.4 × 1013 neutrons/cm2 for neutrons with energies greater than 0.1 MeV. The device performance was monitored in real time. After three years of irradiation studies, we found that the GaN devices maintained operation in the forward active region. The current and voltage relation (I-V curves) varied insignificantly in the linear region. Finally, our results demonstrate the radiation hardness needed for laser fusion diagnostics at least up to 1017 neutron yield per shot, if the diagnostics is placed 1 m away from the target, where the neutron fluence per shot is approximately 8 × 1011 n/cm2. The GaN devices can operate for multiple shots.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1483539
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1477912
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-26279
Journal Information:
Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 89, Issue 10; ISSN 0034-6748
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (9)

Fuel gain exceeding unity in an inertially confined fusion implosion journal February 2014
The Ignition Physics Campaign on NIF: Status and Progress journal March 2016
Neutron irradiation effects on electrical properties and deep-level spectra in undoped n-AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures journal August 2005
UV LED operation lifetime and radiation hardness qualification for space flights journal March 2009
Hot electron relaxation time in GaN journal February 1999
Hot hole relaxation dynamics in p -GaN journal August 2000
Monolithic Integration of Ultrafast Photodetector and MESFET in the GaN Material System journal September 2011
GaN-based photocathodes with extremely high quantum efficiency journal March 2005
The Theory of p-n Junctions in Semiconductors and p-n Junction Transistors journal July 1949

Figures / Tables (9)

FIG. 1(p. 3)figure FIG. 1
FIG. 2(p. 3)figure FIG. 2
FIG. 3(p. 3)figure FIG. 3
FIG. 4(p. 3)figure FIG. 4
Table I(p. 3)table Table I
TABLE II(p. 4)table TABLE II
FIG. 5(p. 5)figure FIG. 5
TABLE III(p. 5)table TABLE III
FIG. 6(p. 6)figure FIG. 6

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