Other

University of Michigan

Kansas State University Research Foundation

University of Missouri

Radiation Detection Technologies, Inc.

Douglas Scott McGregor

Steven Lawrence Bellinger

Ryan G Fronk

John K Shultis

Anthony N Caruso

Kimberlee Jane Kearfott

William H Miller

Thomas M Oakes

Philip B Ugorowski

Brian Cooper

Cory B Hoshor

Eliot R Myers

Ronald A Rojeski

Kyle Alan Nelson

William L Dunn

Brent J Rogers

Walter J McNeil

Roland R Benke

Simon Bolding

Stephen M Young

Joseph A Crow

Timothy J Sobering

James Currie

John C Engdahl

Raymond T Klann

Martin F Ohmes

Clair J Branch-Sullivan

Holly K Gersch

Michael A Reichenberger

Benjamin William Montag

Elsa Ariesanti

Logan Whitmore

Blake B Rice

Clell J Solomon

Eric L Patterson

Bryan Willis

Bozidar Stojadinovic

A radiation detector to monitor the neutron flux of a nuclear reactor or other high-radiation environment, that can withstand the high temperatures and radiation fields of such environment, is provided. A small dielectric substrate with a low neutron-activation cross section is provided. The substrate is coated with a neutron conversion material, such as uranium oxide or thorium oxide. One or more substrates form a micro-sized detection cavity that is filled with a detection gas. A voltage is provided across anode and cathode wires in the detection cavity. A neutron absorbed in the conversion material may release reaction products into the gas, causing ionization of the gas which then produces a current or voltage signal. The small detector volume minimizes energy deposition into the detection gas by competing particles such as gamma rays, fast electrons, and beta particles, and therefore minimizes false counts while retaining large signals from neutron interactions.

Micro cavity fission chamber radiation detection system

A system and method for making a neutron detector includes stacking anode frames and laminated frames to form a detector insert. The laminated frames are formed by laminating a foil of neutron-responsive material to an aluminum frame plated with a metal that does not react with the neutron-responsive material. The anode frames include an anode wire tensioned to a predetermined tension. The anode wires are electrically coupled to a top lid that includes an electrical connector and a gas feed through. The top lid is pressed into a tank with the detector insert.

Methods for manufacturing lithium foil neutron detectors

A semiconductor neutron detector and a semiconductor process is provided to manufacture a semiconductor neutron detector. First, a substrate with flat surface having a dielectric layer is formed thereon is provided. Thereafter, a masking pattern is applied and etched into the dielectric layer to expose semiconductor features on opposite sides of the substrate. The semiconductor substrate is submerged into an etchant composed of a semiconductor etching solution to etch deep cavities into the substrate in the exposed regions. Afterwards, dopant impurities are introduced and are driven into the semiconductor, under high temperature, into opposite sides of the etched features to produce one or more rectifying junctions. Afterwards, LiF and/or B particles are forced into the cavities through high velocity methods.

High-efficiency microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors and process to fabricate high-efficiency microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors

A neutron detection apparatus includes a neutron detector and an analyzer. The neutron detector includes a plurality of neutron detector assemblies, where each of the neutron detector assemblies includes a plurality of neutron detection devices. The neutron detector also includes a moderating volume. The plurality of neutron detector assemblies are disposed within the moderating volume so as to form a three-dimensional array of neutron detection devices within the moderating volume. The analyzer is communicatively coupled to each of the neutron detection devices of the plurality of neutron detector assemblies. The analyzer configured to receive one or more measured response signals from each of the neutron detection devices, and perform one or more analysis procedures to determine one or more characteristics associated with the one or more neutron sources based at least on the received one or more measured response signals.

Apparatus and method for the determination of one or more neutron source characteristics

Gas-filled neutron detectors, an imaging system and an array of such detectors are provided. Surfaces or surface portions incorporated into the gas-filled neutron detectors are coated with and/or composed of at least partially, neutron reactive material. The surfaces may be flat or curved, fins or plates, foils, thin sheets, porous or filamentary material, or semi-solid material or aerogel. The incorporation of the extended surfaces coated with or composed of neutron reactive material increases the neutron detection efficiency of the gas-filled detectors. The surfaces can be made of conductive, semiconductive, semi-insulating, or insulative materials. The surfaces are arranged such that they do not detrimentally detract from the main function of a gas-filled detector with particular attention to gas-filled proportional detectors. The surfaces may be arranged in the detectors to allow for modular construction. The surfaces are designed and arranged such that more than a single reaction product may escape the surface.

Gas-filled neutron detectors and imaging system and array of such detectors

A crystal can be formed using vapor deposition. In one set of embodiments, the crystal can be grown such that the crystal selectively grown along a particular surface at a relatively faster rate as compared to another surface. In another embodiment, the assist material may aid in transporting or depositing the vapor species of a constituent to surfaces of the crystal. In a further set of embodiments, the crystal can be vapor grown in the presence of an assist material that is attracted to or repelled from a particular location of the crystal to increase or reduce crystal growth rate at a region adjacent to the location. The position of the relatively locally greater net charge within the assist material may affect the crystal plane to which the assist material is attracted or repelled. An as-grown crystal may be achieved that has a predetermined geometric shape.

Process of forming a crystal having a particular shape and the crystal formed by the process

A neutron detection system may include a neutron detector including a plurality of neutron detection devices, a plurality of discrete neutron moderating elements, wherein each of the neutron moderating elements is disposed between two or more neutron detection devices, the plurality of neutron detection devices and the plurality of discrete neutron moderating elements disposed along a common axis, a control system configured to generate a detector response library, wherein the detector response library includes one or more sets of data indicative of a response of the detector to a known neutron source, receive one or more measured neutron response signals from each of the neutron devices, the one or more measured response signals response to a detected neutron event, and determine one or more characteristics of neutrons emanating from a measured neutron source by comparing the one or more measured neutron response signals to the detector response library.

Apparatus and method for determination of one or more free neutron characteristics

A neutron detection system includes a plurality of neutron detector assemblies, the neutron detector assemblies including a plurality of neutron detection devices, wherein the neutron detection devices are configured to detect one or more characteristics of neutrons emanating from one or more neutron sources and impinging on one or more neutron detection devices; a plurality of discrete moderating elements, wherein each of the discrete moderating elements is disposed proximate to at least one neutron detector assembly, the plurality of neutron detector assemblies and the plurality of discrete moderating elements disposed along a common axis, wherein the discrete moderating elements are configured to moderate the energy of neutrons impinging on one or more of the neutron-photon detector assemblies; and a control system configured to: determine one or more characteristics associated with the one or more neutron sources based on the received one or more measured response signals.

A method of making a neutron detector such as a microstructured semiconductor neutron detector is provided. The method includes the step of providing a particle-detecting substrate having a surface and a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from the surface. The method also includes filling the plurality of cavities with a neutron-responsive material. The step of filling including the step of centrifuging nanoparticles of the neutron-responsive material with the substrate for a time and a rotational velocity sufficient to backfill the cavities with the nanoparticles. The material is responsive to neutrons absorbed, thereby, for releasing ionizing radiation reaction products.

Method of fabricating a neutron detector such as a microstructured semiconductor neutron detector

Surfaces or surface portions incorporated into gas-filled neutron detectors are coated with and/or composed of at least partially, neutron reactive material. The surfaces may be flat or curved fins or plates, foils, porous or filamentary material, or semi-solid material or aerogel. The incorporation of the extended surfaces coated with or composed of neutron reactive material increases the neutron detection efficiency of the gas-filled detectors over conventional coated designs. These surfaces or surface portions increase the amount of neutron reactive material present in the detector over conventional coated designs and, as a result, increase the neutron detection efficiency. The surfaces can be made of conductive, semiconductive or insulative materials. The surfaces are arranged such that they do not detrimentally detract from the main function of a gas-filled detector with particular attention to gas-filled proportional detectors.

Gas-filled neutron detectors having improved detection efficiency

Non-streaming high-efficiency perforated semiconductor neutron detectors, method of making same and measuring wands and detector modules utilizing same are disclosed. The detectors have improved mechanical structure, flattened angular detector responses, and reduced leakage current. A plurality of such detectors can be assembled into imaging arrays, and can be used for neutron radiography, remote neutron sensing, cold neutron imaging, SNM monitoring, and various other applications.

Non-streaming high-efficiency perforated semiconductor neutron detectors, methods of making same and measuring wand and detector modules utilizing same

Neutron detectors, advanced detector process techniques and advanced compound film designs have greatly increased neutron-detection efficiency. One embodiment of the detectors utilizes a semiconductor wafer with a matrix of spaced cavities filled with one or more types of neutron reactive material such asB orLiF. The cavities are etched into both the front and back surfaces of the device such that the cavities from one side surround the cavities from the other side. The cavities may be etched via holes or etched slots or trenches. In another embodiment, the cavities are different-sized and the smaller cavities extend into the wafer from the lower surfaces of the larger cavities. In a third embodiment, multiple layers of different neutron-responsive material are formed on one or more sides of the wafer. The new devices operate at room temperature, are compact, rugged, and reliable in design.

High-efficiency neutron detectors and methods of making same

A method and system for measuring neutron emissions and ionizing radiation, such as gamma emissions, solid state detector for use therein, and imaging system and array of such detectors for use therein are provided using Cd- and/or Hg-containing semiconductors or B-based, Li-based or Gd-based semiconductors. The resulting systems and detectors used therein may be not only compact and portable, but also capable of operating at room temperature. The detectors may also be operable as gamma ray spectrometers.

Method and system for measuring neutron emissions and ionizing radiation, solid state detector for use therein, and imaging system and array of such detectors for use therein

A high-speed, three-dimensional, gamma-ray imaging method and system as well as a detector and array of such detectors for use therein are provided which characterize radioactivity distributions in nuclear and radioactive waste and materials facilities by superimposing radiation images on a view of the environment using see-through display screens or shields to provide a stereoscopic view of the radiation. The method and system provide real-time visual feedback about the locations and relative strengths of radioactive sources. The method and system dynamically provide continuous updates to the displayed image illustrating changes, such as source movement. A pair of spaced gamma-ray cameras of a detector subsystem function like &ldquo;gamma eyes&rdquo;. A pair of CCD cameras may be coupled to the detector subsystem to obtain information about the physical architecture of the environment. A motion tracking subsystem is used to generate information on the user's position and head orientation to determine what a user &ldquo;sees&rdquo;. The invention exploits the human brain's ability to naturally reconstruct a 3D, stereoscopic image from 2D images generated by two &ldquo;imagers&rdquo; separated by a known angle(s) without the need for 3D mathematical image reconstruction. The method and system are not only tools for minimizing human exposure to radiation thus assisting in ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) planning, but also are helpful for identifying contamination in, for example, laboratory or industrial settings. Other optically-invisible radiation such as infrared radiation caused by smoldering fires may also be imaged. Detectors are manufactured or configured in curvilinear geometries (such as hemispheres, spheres, circles, arcs, or other arrangements) to enable sampling of the ionizing radiation field for determination of positional activity (absolute or relative amounts of ionizing radiation) or spectroscopy (energy distributions of photons). More than one detector system may be used to obtain three-dimensional information. The detector systems are specifically suitable for direct visualization of radiation fields.

Growing community of inventors

Riley, KS, United States of America

Douglas Scott McGregor