Neutron-detecting apparatuses and methods of fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9406833-B2
Application number	US-201514850426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2012
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Neutron-detecting structures and methods of fabrication are provided which include: a substrate with a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from a surface; a p-n junction within the substrate and extending, at least in part, in spaced opposing relation to inner cavity walls of the substrate defining the plurality of cavities; and a neutron-responsive material disposed within the plurality of cavities. The neutron-responsive material is responsive to neutrons absorbed for releasing ionization radiation products, and the p-n junction within the substrate spaced in opposing relation to and extending, at least in part, along the inner cavity walls of the substrate reduces leakage current of the neutron-detecting structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
fabricating a neutron-detecting structure, the fabricating comprising:
providing a substrate comprising a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from a surface thereof;
forming a p-n junction within the substrate and extending, at least in part, in spaced opposing relation to inner cavity walls of the substrate defining the plurality of cavities therein;
providing a neutron-responsive material within the plurality of cavities, the neutron-responsive material being responsive to neutrons absorbed thereby for releasing ionization radiation reaction products, wherein the p-n junction within the substrate spaced in opposing relation to and extending, at least in part, along the inner cavity walls of the substrate reduces leakage current of the neutron-detecting structure;
wherein the p-in junction within the substrate is a continuous p-n junction, the continuous p-n junction being disposed, at least in part, parallel to the surface of the substrate from which the plurality of cavities extend into the substrate, as well as in spaced opposing relation to the inner cavity walls of the substrate; and
wherein the continuous p-n junction is spaced from the surface of the substrate a greater distance than the continuous p-n junction is spaced in opposing relation to the inner cavity walls of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the p-n junction comprises depositing a conformal layer of p-type dopant material at a first temperature, and subsequently annealing the conformal layer of p-type dopant material at a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, and the annealing facilitating forming a continuous p-n junction extending, at least in part, within the substrate in spaced opposing relation to the inner cavity walls of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second temperature is at least about 100° C. to 300° C. higher than the first temperature.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the conformal layer of p-type dopant material comprises a conformal layer of neutron-responsive material deposited within the plurality of cavities, the conformal layer of neutron-responsive material comprising at least one of enriched boron or a compound including enriched boron.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the continuous p-n junction is deposited, in part, in spaced opposing relation to the surface of the substrate, the continuous p-n junction being spaced from the surface of the substrate a greater distance than the continuous p-n junction is spaced from the inner cavity walls of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one cavity of the plurality of cavities within the substrate is, at least in part, a hexagonal-cross-sectional-shaped cavity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the substrate further comprises arraying, at least in part, the plurality of cavities in the substrate in a honeycomb pattern.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein fabricating the neutron-detecting structure comprises fabricating the neutron-detecting structure to operate at zero bias voltage.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neutron-responsive material within the plurality of cavities comprises a hydrogen-rich aromatic polymer material.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the p-n junction within the substrate comprises disposing a conformal layer of material over the substrate and within the plurality of cavities extending therein, and annealing the conformal layer of material to form, at least in part, the p-n junction within the substrate.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the conformal layer of material from the plurality of cavities after the annealing and before the providing of the neutron-responsive material within the plurality of cavities.

Assignees

• Rensselaer Polytech Inst

Inventors

• Dahal Rajendra P
• Huang Jacky Kuan-Chih
• Lu James J Q
• Danon Yaron
• Bhat Ishwara B

Classifications

• H10F77/306

  for devices having potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F77/148

  Shapes of potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F39/103

  the at least one element covered by H10F30/00 having potential barriers, e.g. integrated devices comprising photodiodes or phototransistors · CPC title

• H10F19/50

  Integrated devices comprising at least one photovoltaic cell and other types of semiconductor or solid-state components (H10F19/75 takes precedence) · CPC title