Performance of a 4H-SiC Schottky diode as a compact sized detector for neutron pulse form measurements

摘要

4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) detectors are desirable for neutron pulse form measurement for their compact size, excellent radiation resistance and hydrogen free composition. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of a 4H-SiC detector to measure the pulse form of a neutron burst. A 4H-SiC detector is fabricated and tested in the pulsed neutron field of the Chinese Fast Burst Reactor Ⅱ (CFBR Ⅱ). Important parameters such as the breeding period and the FWHM of the neutron pulse are derived from the experimental result of the 4H-SiC detector. These parameters agree well with those from a plastic scintillator detector. The divergences are only 0.5%, demonstrating that the 4H-SiC detector can yield a high fidelity time profile of the CFBR Ⅱ pulse. The difference in peak centroid of alpha spectra is negligible for the 4H-SiC detector even after 18 reactor pulses (a neutron fluence of 8.41 × 10~(12) cm~(-2)), confirming the excellent radiation hardness of the 4H-SiC detector in pulsed neutron field. This study therefore indicates that 4H-SiC detectors can be usable as a compact sized detector to measure neutron pulses.