| Abstract Scope |
Neutron detectors are important for various applications, ranging from monitoring nuclear reactors to operating medical devices. However, conventional Silicon-based neutron detectors degrade quickly when exposed to neutrons, leading to frequent maintenance and replacement. Aluminum Nitride (AlN), a well-established semiconductor, has a higher radiation hardness than Silicon. When doped with Gadolinium (Gd), a high neutron cross-section element, Aluminum Gadolinium Nitride (AlGdN) is promising as a semiconducting material for detecting neutrons.
Sputtering deposition, which can incorporate more Gd in AlN than other approaches (MBE or CVD), is a promising method for synthesizing AlGdN. However, sputtered AlN films have significantly lower charge transport properties. By varying the deposition parameters, we have shown that nitrogen vacancies from sputtering damage act as recombination centers to cause this decline in charge transport. Upon further optimizing the post-deposition process, we believe that AlGdN can become a promising alternative to current Silicon-based neutron detectors. |