Microstructured, High-efficiency, High-Angular-Resolution Thermal Neutron Detectors and Neutron Spectrometers

Philip Ugorowski (Kansas State University Manhattan)

The present shortage of helium-3 has engendered a search for alternatives for thermal neutron detection. Fifteen years ago, the Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Technologies Laboratory at Kansas State University started looking for more compact and less expensive ways to detect thermal neutrons, and developed the first perforated semiconductor neutron detector. Through extensive modeling and experimentation, several designs have matured, approaching 50% intrinsic neutron detection efficiency. 1-D and 2-D designs are now possible, with spatial resolution down to 40 microns. Neutron spectrometers are also being built, capable of quickly identifying high-energy neutron sources without the need to manually change moderators.

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