A POSITION SENSITIVE NEUTRON DETECTOR USING BORON PHOSPHIDE SEMICONDUCTOR SENSORS

TRADITIONAL POSITION-SENSITIVE NEUTRON DETECTORS USE EITHER GAS FILLED TUBES OR SCINTILLATOR-PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE COMBINATIONS. ALTHOUGH BOTH OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE RESULTED IN SUCCESSFUL POSITION-SENSITIVE NEUTRON DETECTORS,THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF INTRINSIC DEFICIENCIES. THIS PROJECTINVOLVES THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW POSITION-SENSITIVE NEUTRON DETECTORS FROM SOLID STATE DETECTOR ELEMENTS MADE FROM THE SEMICONDUCTOR BORON PHOSPHIDE (BP). PRELIMINARY WORK INDICATES THAT A NEW TYPE OF THERMAL NEUTRON DETECTOR CAN BECONSTRUCTED FROM BP DETECTOR ELEMENTS. THIS NEW DETECTOR ISVERY SIMILAR TO TRADITIONAL SILICON SURFACE BARRIER DETECTORS USED IN ALPHA PARTICLE DETECTION. NEUTRON DETECTION IS ACHIEVED BY DETECTING THE ALPHA PARTICLE PRODUCED BY THE NEUTRON REACTION WITH THE BORON WITHIN THE DETECTOR. THESE DETECTORS WOULD OFFER A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES OVER TRADITIONAL THERMAL NEUTRON SCHEMES, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN POSITION-SENSITIVE DETECTION SYSTEMS.