A hand-held neutron detection sensor systems

In this paper, a hand-held neutron radiation sensor application is described. The sensor system utilizes a new class of boron-carbide diode that interacts with incoming neutrons. To interface with the boron-carbide diode an integrated front-end is designed in a 1.5/spl mu/m standard CMOS technology. With the diode and front-end microchip, a hand-held neutron detection system was realized with an embedded microcontroller for realtime processing. The hand-held detector operation was then tested with a plutonium-beryllium neutron source. Testing results confirm the validity of the approach and the functionality of the design. A Hand-Held Neutron Detection Sensor System Kevin Osberg, Nathan Schemm, and Sina Balkir Jennifer I. Brand*, Susan Hallbeck°, and Peter Dowbent Department of Electrical Engineering, *College of Engineering and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 'Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0511, USA tDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Email: [email protected] University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0511, USA Abstract-In this paper, a hand-held neutron radiation sensor resist high temperatures and extreme environments. The basis application is described. The sensor system utilizes a new class of detecting neutrons with boron is well-known, and is based of boron-carbide diode that interacts with incoming neutrons. To o1 '°B 7Li capture giving interface with the boron-carbide diode an integrated front-end (n,a) is designed in a 1.5,um standard CMOS technology. With the 10B + n 7Li(0.84MeV) + 4He(1.47MeV) diode and front-end microchip, a hand-held neutron detection system was realized with an embedded microcontroller for real+<y(0.48MeV) time processing. The hand-held detector operation was then or tested with a plutonium-beryllium neutron source. Testing results confirm the validity of the approach and the functionality of the 10B + n 7Li(1.02MeV) + 4He(1.78MeV) (1) design. with 94% and 6% probabilities, respectively. Thus, an incom