Evaluation of Radiation Hardness of Semiconductor Materials Against Alpha Particles for an API Detector

Gabriele Giacomini, Gabriella Carini, Matt Coventry, Mieczyslaw Dabrowski, Connie Rose Deane, Alfred DellaPenna, Lorenzo Fabris, Grzegorz W. Deptuch, Sven Herrmann, Brian Jurczyk, James Kierstead, Ivan Kotov, Seth McConchie, Erik Muller, Giovanni Pinaroli, Donald Pinelli

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

An Associated Particle Imaging (API) system consists of a high vacuum chamber where deuterium ions are accelerated on a tritium-loaded target, resulting in alpha particles and neutrons emitted back-to-back, the latter escaping the chamber and used, for example, for tomography of a high-Z sample. An accurate determination of the alpha position is crucial to determine the trajectory of the neutron. Existing API systems have several limitations which a semiconductor-based API detector placed inside the vacuum chamber should not present. The semiconductor material can be either silicon or diamond. In particular, large and fast signals are generated by the alpha interactions in these materials. A pixelated API detector will measure the time and hit position of the alphas produced in the reaction. However, during the lifetime of the generator, the semiconductor detector will be exposed to an intense flux of alpha particles that will degrade its performance over time. To assess the radiation hardness of silicon and diamond against the alpha particles, we exposed single diodes made of either of the two materials to a 5 MeV alpha flux generated by an 241Am radioactive source. During irradiation, the diodes were biased and mounted on current-sensitive preamplifier boards. We have therefore been able to measure insitu the evolution of the waveforms as the damage was accumulating in their substrates.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2020 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, NSS/MIC 2020
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781728176932
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020
Event2020 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, NSS/MIC 2020 - Boston, United States
Duration: Oct 31 2020Nov 7 2020

Publication series

Name2020 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, NSS/MIC 2020

Conference

Conference2020 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, NSS/MIC 2020
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston
Period10/31/2011/7/20

Funding

Manuscript received December 20, 2020. This work is supported by the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and by the Department of Energy (DOE) under grant DE-SC0012704. E-mail: [email protected] G. Giacomini, G. Carini, M. Dabrowski, C.-R. Deane, A. DellaPenna, G. W. Deptuch, S. Herrmann, J. Kierstead, I. Kotov, E. Muller, G. Pinaroli, D. Pinelli are with Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973. Matt Coventry and Brian Jurczyk are with Starfire Industries LLC, 2109 S Oak St, Champaign, IL 61820. L. Fabris and S. McConchie are with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.

FundersFunder number
U.S. Department of EnergyDE-SC0012704
National Nuclear Security Administration

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