Neutron detection based upon a lithiated sol-gel glass

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nuclear Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Sol-gel technology enables wet chemistry formation of glass films.
• Doped glass films are utilized for sensing applications, including pH, temperature, and chemical presence.
• Silicon surface barrier (SSB) detectors are sensitive radiation detection devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the doping of glass films with specific isotopes (Boron-10, Lithium-6, Uranium-235) using sol-gel technology.
• To evaluate the performance of these doped glass films on SSB detectors for neutron detection.
• To compare the neutron detection response of different dopant materials.

Main Methods:

• Sol-gel technology was employed for the wet chemistry formation of glass films.
• Boron-10, Lithium-6, and Uranium-235 were doped into the glass films.
• Doped glass films were applied to silicon surface barrier (SSB) detectors.
• Neutron activation sources were used to test detector response.
• A commercial preamp/amplifier and IEEE-488 NIM counter were utilized for data acquisition.
• Thermal neutron mapping was performed using a portable personal computer.

Main Results:

• The lithium-6 doped glass film on the SSB detector yielded approximately four times the count rate compared to the boron-10 doped glass film.
• The uranium-235 doped glass film exhibited a lower count rate but maintained a stable output signal.
• The stability of the U-235 doped film was attributed to alpha activity from Uranium-235 and trace Uranium-234.

Conclusions:

• Sol-gel technology is effective for creating doped glass films for radiation detection applications.
• Lithium-6 doped films demonstrate superior neutron detection efficiency compared to boron-10 doped films for SSB detectors.
• Uranium-235 doping offers a stable signal output, potentially useful for specific monitoring tasks.