Performance of 5-𝜇mPIN diamond diodes as thermal neutron detectors
Diamond PIN diodes with an approximately 5-𝜇m thick i-layer and coated with a thin boron nitride (BN) layer have been tested with a thermal neutron beam. For a flux of 4.4 °¡ 106 n/s/cm2, count rates were on the order of 30–100 counts per second depending on the thickness of the BN neutron converter layer. Pulse height spectra showed features associated with 𝛼 and 7Li fission products consistent with the thickness of the BN layer. An irradiation test with a 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence of 1015 n/cm2 showed no significant alteration in the count rate of the tested detector.
Fig. 3. Detector mount. The detector frames made out of printed circuit boards with
the detector centered at the tip of the frame.
