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Title: Effects of surface recombination on the charge collection in h-BN neutron detectors

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) epilayers have been recognized as a promising material for applications in solid-state neutron detectors. However, the highest detection efficiency of 58% attained so far for 1 mm2 detectors fabricated from 50 μm thick B-10 enriched h-BN films still falls short of the expected theoretical value of 64%. This is due to the less than perfect charge collection efficiency. In this work, we have fabricated and analyzed the photocurrent-voltage characteristics of 11 h-BN neutron detectors. The dependence of the charge collection efficiency (ηc) on the charge carrier mobility-lifetime (μτ) product of the bulk trapping parameter reveals that ηc is nearly perfect at a bias voltage of 200 V if we neglect the effects of surface recombination. Our results have clearly demonstrated that the surface recombination of charge carriers is the dominant factor that prevents a further enhancement in the charge collection efficiency in our current detectors. The surface recombination field ES (=s/μ), defined as the ratio of the surface recombination velocity (s) to the carrier mobility (μ) of holes, was found to have a linear relationship with that of electrons and has a magnitude of the order of 104 V/cm. The present study indicates that it ismore » critical to reduce ES in h-BN in order to further push the charge collection and hence the total detection efficiency of h-BN neutron detectors to 100%« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States); Nanophotonics Center (Texas Tech University)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
OSTI Identifier:
1502865
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1571784
Grant/Contract Number:  
AR0000964
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 125; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Citation Formats

Lin, Jingyu, Jiang, Hongxing, Li, Jing, Maity, Avesek, and Grenadier, Sam J. Effects of surface recombination on the charge collection in h-BN neutron detectors. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5089138.
Lin, Jingyu, Jiang, Hongxing, Li, Jing, Maity, Avesek, & Grenadier, Sam J. Effects of surface recombination on the charge collection in h-BN neutron detectors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5089138
Lin, Jingyu, Jiang, Hongxing, Li, Jing, Maity, Avesek, and Grenadier, Sam J. 2019. "Effects of surface recombination on the charge collection in h-BN neutron detectors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5089138. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1502865.
@article{osti_1502865,
title = {Effects of surface recombination on the charge collection in h-BN neutron detectors},
author = {Lin, Jingyu and Jiang, Hongxing and Li, Jing and Maity, Avesek and Grenadier, Sam J.},
abstractNote = {Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) epilayers have been recognized as a promising material for applications in solid-state neutron detectors. However, the highest detection efficiency of 58% attained so far for 1 mm2 detectors fabricated from 50 μm thick B-10 enriched h-BN films still falls short of the expected theoretical value of 64%. This is due to the less than perfect charge collection efficiency. In this work, we have fabricated and analyzed the photocurrent-voltage characteristics of 11 h-BN neutron detectors. The dependence of the charge collection efficiency (ηc) on the charge carrier mobility-lifetime (μτ) product of the bulk trapping parameter reveals that ηc is nearly perfect at a bias voltage of 200 V if we neglect the effects of surface recombination. Our results have clearly demonstrated that the surface recombination of charge carriers is the dominant factor that prevents a further enhancement in the charge collection efficiency in our current detectors. The surface recombination field ES (=s/μ), defined as the ratio of the surface recombination velocity (s) to the carrier mobility (μ) of holes, was found to have a linear relationship with that of electrons and has a magnitude of the order of 104 V/cm. The present study indicates that it is critical to reduce ES in h-BN in order to further push the charge collection and hence the total detection efficiency of h-BN neutron detectors to 100%},
doi = {10.1063/1.5089138},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1502865}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 10,
volume = 125,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Tue Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

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Cited by: 11 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

High sensitivity hexagonal boron nitride lateral neutron detectors
journal, June 2019