Research On Fabrication And Characterizations Of 4H-silicon Carbide Neutron Detectors

Neutron detection technology has been widely applied in many fields such as space radiation detection,contraband detection,military and industrial applications.Because of its compact size,simple structure,high detection efficiency,wide linear response range and good energy resolution,semiconductor nuclear radiation detector has been widely used.However,it also has apparent temperature effect,bad anti-irradiation properties and other drawbacks.In order to detect neutrons in high-temperature and harsh radiation environment such as nuclear explosion,reactor core,high-energy nuclear physics experiment and deep space,a designed scheme of a new semiconductor detector based on silicon carbide has been put forward in this paper,with a higher property and greater tolerance of tough environment.The feasibility of this design scheme has been investigated by structure design and experimental verification.First of all,the theory of neutron detection and the operational principle of PIN type semiconductor detectors were introduced.Meanwhile,the main performance indexes of semiconductor detectors were summarized,and their influence factors were analyzed.Then,the mechanism of actions between fast neutrons and silicon carbide was illustrated.Based on this knowledge of nuclear physics,the structure of the SiC neutron detector has been designed.According to related domestic and abroad literatures,and the available technical levels,the final designed scheme of the SiC neutron detector has been formulated.With the help of TianYu Semiconductor Technology Co.Ltd,Global Power Technology Co.Ltd and Surplus Front Photoelectric Co.Ltd,the SiC neutron detector has been fabricated successfully.Finally,the experiment platform used for spectrum measurement was established.In this platform,the spectrums of alpha particles,protons and neutrons were measured by the designed detector.Also,the radiation hardness test of the minimum detector was made.The experimental results show that the designed SiC neutron detector is able to measure the spectrums of alpha particles,protons and neutrons,and has a good performance in the radiation hardness test.The above work proved that the designed scheme of the SiC neutron detector is proper and feasible,which laid a better groundwork for the further study and application of the detector.