High-efficiency semiconductor thermal-neutron detectors

The authors examine two methods to upgrade the detection efficiency of thermal neutron semiconductor detectors. The first of these involves increasing the number of semiconductor detection and neutron conversion layers in the sandwich while the second is based on the use of semiconductor crystals with an extended surface. They incorporate both methods into a design program for a detector which is shown to achieve, using lithium 6 and boron 10 as conversion materials, thermal neutron detection efficiencies of 40 percent and higher