Counting protons with semiconductors - a simple approach to a personal neutron dosemeter?

The handicap of all solid state detectors for personnel dosimetry is the need for elaborate electronics for gaining the signal and processing the data in order to obtain information relevant to radiological protection. A system which possesses a response to neutron energy according to the dependence of the dose equivalent will be a rather simple and very reliable device. No further processing of the measured data is necessary as the readout in itself will be proportional to the dose equivalent. Special gallium arsenide (GaAs) diodes with a photoresist layer of 10-20 μm thickness and a static random access memory (SRAP) chip covered with a thin polyamide layer have been tested in a variety of neutron spectra. First results prove the reliability of a simple proton counter as a good approximation to a personal neutron dosemeter. (author)