A 4H silicon carbide based fast-Neutron detection system with a neutron threshold of 0.4 MeV

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. A. Physical. 2017-11, Vol.267, p.547-551
• Main Authors: Liu, L.Y., Ouyang, X.P., Zhang, X.P., Liu, J.L., Ruan, J.L., Jin, P., Tian, Z.N., Su, C.L., Huang, R.H., Bai, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 237Np; 4H-SiC; Alpha particles; Alpha rays; Dark current; Diode detectors; Energy resolution; Fast-neutron; Fission fragment; Neutrons; Noise threshold; Nuclear fission; Nuclear fusion; Radiation resistance; Radiation tolerance; Schottky diodes; Sensors; Silicon carbide; Studies
• ISSN: 0924-4247; 1873-3069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2017.10.009

[Display omitted] •Special requirements in pulsed fast-neutron detection of prompt fission and fusion devices call for special detection detector or system having a flat energy response, a high signal-noise-ratio, proper threshold energy, and a good radiation resistance, which is successfully satisfied by the detection system mentioned in the paper.•A fast-neutron detection system based on a thin silicon carbide detector and a 237 Np fission target was developed with a threshold of 0.4 MeV, flat energy response and high signal-to-noise ratio.•A neutron detection system was calibrated on nuclear reactor and got good fission fragment spectra.•The developed SiC neutron detectors are ideally suited for neutron detection not only for good endurance in high-temperature and high- radiation environments, but also for low response to background radiation derived from its thin sensitive volume.•The neutron detection system provides a useful tool for fast-neutron fluence monitoring in nuclear fission and fusion equipment, especially in high-temperature and high- radiation environments. Special requirements in pulsed fast-neutron detection of prompt fission and fusion devices call for a detection detector or system which could detect fast-neutrons in a severe radiation field, and thus should necessarily have a flat energy response, a high signal-noise-ratio, proper threshold energy, and a good radiation resistance. In this paper, a fast-neutron detection system based on a thin silicon carbide (SiC) detector and a 237Np fission target was developed and tested on Xi’an Pulsed Reactor, which was with a neutron threshold of 0.4 MeV, a flat energy response to neutrons in the range of 1MeV to 20MeV and got good response spectra to fission fragments. The SiC detector used here is a 4H-SiC Schottky diode detector with the dimension of 20mm×20mm×20μm, a dark current of lower than 5nA within 600V, a best energy resolution to alpha particles of about 1.78% and a high radiation resistance under alpha particle irradiation with a max incident number of 1.03×1010. The detection system shows advantaged prospects in fast-neutron fluence monitoring in nuclear fission and fusion equipments.