Highly efficient neutron detectors are critical in many sectors, including national security1,2, medicine3, crystallography4 and astronomy5. The main neutron detection technologies currently used involve 3He-gas-filled proportional counters6 and light scintillators7 for thermalized neutrons. Semiconductors could provide the next generation of neutron detectors because their advantages could make them competitive with or superior to existing detectors. In particular, solids with a high concentration of high-neutron-capture nuclides (such as 6Li, 10B) could be used to develop smaller detectors with high intrinsic efficiencies. However, no promising materials have been reported so far for the construction of direct-conversion semiconductor detectors. Here we report on the semiconductor LiInP2Se6 and demonstrate its potential as a candidate material for the direct detection of thermal neutrons at room temperature. This compound has a good thermal-neutron-capture cross-section, a suitable bandgap (2.06 electronvolts) and a favourable electronic band structure for efficient electron charge transport. We used α particles from an 241Am source as a proxy for the neutron-capture reaction and determined that the compact two-dimensional (2D) LiInP2Se6 detectors resolved the full-energy peak with an energy resolution of 13.9 per cent. Direct neutron detection from a moderated PuâBe source was achieved using 6Li-enriched (95 per cent) LiInP2Se6 detectors with full-peak resolution. We anticipate that these results will spark interest in this field and enable the replacement of 3He counters by semiconductor-based neutron detectors. The semiconductor 6LiInP2Se6 is used for the direct detection of thermal neutrons at room temperature, demonstrating good energy resolution.
高效的中子探测器在许多领域都至关重要,包括国家安全1,2、医学3、晶体学4 和天文学5。目前使用的主要中子探测技术包括 3He 气体填充比例计数器6 和用于热化中子的光闪烁体7。半导体可以提供下一代中子探测器,因为半导体的优势可以使其与现有探测器竞争或优于现有探测器。特别是,具有高浓度高中子捕获核素(如 6Li、10B)的固体可用于开发具有高固有效率的小型探测器。然而,迄今为止还没有关于建造直接转换半导体探测器的材料的报道。在此,我们报告了半导体 LiInP2Se6,并证明了它作为室温下直接探测热中子的候选材料的潜力。这种化合物具有良好的热中子捕获截面、合适的带隙(2.06 电子伏特)和有利于电子电荷高效传输的电子带结构。我们使用来自 241Am 源的δ粒子作为中子俘获反应的替代物,并确定紧凑型二维(2D)LiInP2Se6 探测器能够分辨全能量峰,能量分辨率为 13.9%。使用富含 6Li(95%)的 LiInP2Se6 探测器实现了对缓和
钚铍源的直接中子探测,并达到了全能峰分辨率。我们预计,这些成果将激发人们对这一领域的兴趣,并使基于半导体的中子探测器能够取代 3He 计数器。半导体 6LiInP2Se6 用于在室温下直接探测热中子,显示出良好的能量分辨率。