β-Ga2O3 Solid-State Devices for Fast Neutron Detection

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • D. Szalkai - , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Gamma Technical Corporation (Author)
  • Z. Galazka - , Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth (Author)
  • K. Irmscher - , Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth (Author)
  • P. Tutto - , Semilab Semiconductor Physics Laboratory Co. Ltd. (Author)
  • A. Klix - , Chair of Nuclear Physics, Crystal Growth Laboratory, Gamma Technical Corporation (Author)
  • D. Gehre - , Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)

Abstract

Examination of Ga2O3 as solid-state nuclear detector was carried out. Ga2O3 is a wide bandgap material with beneficial physical properties that enable its application in harsh environmental conditions, such as elevated temperature or strong electromagnetic field; therefore, Ga2O3 could become a competitor of diamond and 4H silicon-carbide nuclear detectors. Furthermore, because of its high oxygen content the new detector material can play an important role in the field of reactor research due to the 16O(n, α)13C reaction. Monocrystalline β-Ga2O3 samples were investigated under 14 MeV fast neutron irradiation. On unintentionally doped semiconducting and Mg-doped insulating crystals metallic films were deposited in order to form the contact electrodes for biasing and to collect the electron-hole pairs generated by secondary particles after nuclear interactions between neutrons and the nuclei of the Ga2O3 crystal. The Mg-doped sample could be operated from zero up to more than 1000 V biasing level. The recorded electric signal and energy histograms were investigated.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number7913728
Pages (from-to)1574-1579
Number of pages6
JournalIEEE transactions on nuclear science
Volume64
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2017
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • Insulator, Mg-doping, neutron detector, β-GaO