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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Quantification of Hydrogen Concentrations in Surface and Interface Layers and Bulk Materials through Depth Profiling with Nuclear Reaction Analysis
Published on: March 29, 2016
Determination of boron in materials by cold neutron prompt gamma-ray activation analysis
1Analytical Chemistry Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
Abstract:
An instrument for cold neutron prompt gamma-ray activation analysis (PGAA), located at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), has proven useful for the measurement of boron in a variety of materials. Neutrons, moderated by passage through liquid hydrogen at 20 K, pass through a (58)Ni coated guide to the PGAA station in the cold neutron guide hall of the NCNR. The thermal equivalent neutron fluence rate at the sample position is 9 x 10(8) cm(-2) s(-1). Prompt gamma rays are measured by a cadmium- and lead-shielded high-purity germanium detector. The instrument has been used to measure boron mass fractions in minerals, in NIST SRM 2175 (Refractory Alloy MP-35-N) for certification of boron, and most recently in semiconductor-grade silicon. The limit of detection for boron in many materials is <10 ng g(-1).
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