Radiological and Nuclear Detection Material Science: Novel Rare-Earth Semiconductors for Solid-State Neutron Detectors and Thin High-k Dielectrics

Abstract

Specifically, the goals have been to investigate new materials based primarily on rare earth semiconductors, and explore new solid state detector configurations of these materials as neutron detectors. Seven materials (monoclinic and cubic Gd/HfO2 alloys, monoclinic and cubic Gd2O3, Gd/EuO, Gd doped GaN, and Li2B4O7) have been modeled, synthesized and made into devices. Various exemplar materials have been fabricated and the theoretical modeling has been completed for gadolinium oxide/hafnium alloys oxide, the gadolinium oxides, gadolinium doped europium oxides and gadolinium doped GaN. Neutron testing has also been achieved for the Gd/HfO2 alloy to silicon devices, Gd2O3 heterostructure diodes and, to a limited extent, lithium tetraborate. Characterization of heterojunction devices made from the Gd/EuO alloy has been performed. The more recent efforts (2011) within the scope of the project have emphasized Li2B4O7 because this materials exceptional merits as a neutron detector material by itself and also because of the potential of this material for oxide-to-oxide heterostructures.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1042003

Entities

People

  • Jennifer Brand
  • Kirill Belashchenko
  • Peter A Dowben
  • Yaroslav Losovyj

Organizations

  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Advanced Materials
  • Band Gaps
  • Band Structures
  • Charge Carriers
  • Chemistry
  • Compound Semiconductors
  • Detectors
  • Energy Bands
  • Gamma Rays
  • Magnetic Properties
  • Materials
  • Materials Science
  • Optical Materials
  • Semiconductor Devices
  • Semiconductors
  • Spectra
  • Students

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Semiconductor Device Technology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics