High-efficiency neutron detectors and methods of making same
First Claim
1. Apparatus for efficiently detecting neutrons, the apparatus comprising:
- a particle-detecting first substrate having first and second surfaces spaced apart by a region of the substrate and a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from the first and second surfaces; and
neutron-responsive material disposed in the plurality of cavities, the material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products, wherein the neutron-responsive material disposed in the cavities at the first and second surfaces increases neutron-detection efficiency by increasing the likelihood that the reaction products will be directed into the substrate for increased neutron-detection efficiency.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Neutron detectors, advanced detector process techniques and advanced compound film designs have greatly increased neutron-detection efficiency. One embodiment of the detectors utilizes a semiconductor wafer with a matrix of spaced cavities filled with one or more types of neutron reactive material such as 10B or 6LiF. The cavities are etched into both the front and back surfaces of the device such that the cavities from one side surround the cavities from the other side. The cavities may be etched via holes or etched slots or trenches. In another embodiment, the cavities are different-sized and the smaller cavities extend into the wafer from the lower surfaces of the larger cavities. In a third embodiment, multiple layers of different neutron-responsive material are formed on one or more sides of the wafer. The new devices operate at room temperature, are compact, rugged, and reliable in design.
-
Citations
45 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for efficiently detecting neutrons, the apparatus comprising:
-
a particle-detecting first substrate having first and second surfaces spaced apart by a region of the substrate and a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from the first and second surfaces; and
neutron-responsive material disposed in the plurality of cavities, the material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products, wherein the neutron-responsive material disposed in the cavities at the first and second surfaces increases neutron-detection efficiency by increasing the likelihood that the reaction products will be directed into the substrate for increased neutron-detection efficiency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. Apparatus for efficiently detecting neutrons, the apparatus comprising:
-
a particle-detecting first substrate having first and second surfaces spaced apart by a region of the substrate;
a first contact layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate;
a second contract layer disposed on the second surface of the substrate; and
a first stack of neutron-responsive layers, including a first layer of neutron-responsive material of a first type disposed on the first contact layer and a second layer of neutron-responsive material of a second type different from the first type disposed on the first layer, both of the materials being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reactive products. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. Apparatus for efficiently detecting neutrons, the apparatus comprising:
-
a particle-detecting first substrate having spaced first and second surfaces and a plurality of different-sized cavities extending into the substrate from the first and second surfaces; and
neutron-responsive material disposed in the plurality of different-sized cavities, the material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products, wherein the neutron-responsive material disposed in the different-sized cavities at the first and second surfaces increases neutron-detection efficiency by increasing the likelihood that the reaction products will be directed into the substrate for increased neutron-detection efficiency. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. Apparatus for efficiently detecting neutrons, the apparatus comprising:
-
a particle-detecting first substrate having first and second surfaces spaced apart by a first region of the first substrate and a first set of cavities extending into the first substrate from the first surface;
a particle-detecting second substrate stacked on the first substrate and having first and second surfaces spaced apart by a second region of the second substrate and a second set of cavities extending into the second substrate from the first surface of the second substrate; and
neutron-responsive material disposed in the first and second sets of cavities and on the first surfaces of the substrates, the material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products, wherein the neutron-responsive material disposed in the first and second sets of cavities increases neutron-detection efficiency by increasing the likelihood that the reaction products will be directed into the first and second substrates, respectively, for increased neutron-detection efficiency. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
-
-
42. A method of making a high-efficiency neutron detector, the method comprising:
-
providing a particle-detecting substrate having a first surface and a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from the first surface;
filling the plurality of cavities with a neutron-responsive material; and
forming a thick film of the neutron-responsive material over the first surface including the plurality of cavities wherein the cavities relieve stress in the thick film to prevent delamination of the thick film from the first surface, the material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products, wherein the neutron-responsive material disposed in the cavities at the first surface increases neutron-detection efficiency by increasing the likelihood that the reaction products will be directed into the substrate for increased neutron-detection efficiency. - View Dependent Claims (43)
-
-
44. A method of making a high-efficiency neutron detector, the method including providing a particle-detecting first substrate having a first surface and a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from the first surface, and filling the plurality of cavities with a neutron-responsive material, the material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products, wherein the neutron-responsive material disposed in the cavities at the first surface increases neutron-detection efficiency by increasing the likelihood that the reaction products will be directed into the substrate for increased neutron-detection efficiency, the improvement comprising:
the step of filling includes the step of spreading the material on the first surface and vibrating the material into the plurality of cavities. - View Dependent Claims (45)
Specification