beta-Ga2O3 Solid-State Devices for Fast Neutron Detection

• Published in: IEEE transactions on nuclear science 2017-06, Vol.64 (6), p.1574-1579
• Main Authors: Szalkai, D., Galazka, Z., Irmscher, K., Tutto, P., Klix, A., Gehre, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Crystals; Detectors; Diamond; Diamonds; Electric contacts; Environmental conditions; Gallium; Gallium oxides; High temperature; Histograms; Insulator; Irradiation; Magnesium; Mg-doping; neutron detector; Neutron irradiation; Neutrons; Nuclear interactions; Nuclei; Nuclei (nuclear physics); Oxygen; Oxygen content; Particle physics; Physical properties; Scattering; Silicon; Silicon carbide; Solid state devices; Temperature effects; Vanadium; β-Ga₂O
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/TNS.2017.2698831

Examination of Ga 2 O 3 as solid-state nuclear detector was carried out. Ga 2 O 3 is a wide bandgap material with beneficial physical properties that enable its application in harsh environmental conditions, such as elevated temperature or strong electromagnetic field; therefore, Ga 2 O 3 could become a competitor of diamond and 4H silicon-carbide nuclear detectors. Furthermore, because of its high oxygen content the new detector material can play an important role in the field of reactor research due to the 16 O(n,α) 13 C reaction. Monocrystalline β-Ga 2 O 3 samples were investigated under 14 MeV fast neutron irradiation. On unintentionally doped semiconducting and Mg-doped insulating crystals metallic films were deposited in order to form the contact electrodes for biasing and to collect the electron-hole pairs generated by secondary particles after nuclear interactions between neutrons and the nuclei of the Ga 2 O 3 crystal. The Mg-doped sample could be operated from zero up to more than 1000 V biasing level. The recorded electric signal and energy histograms were investigated.