| 1. |
- Albani, Giorgia, et al.
(författare)
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Evolution in boron-based GEM detectors for diffraction measurements : From planar to 3D converters
- 2016
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Ingår i: Measurement science and technology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0957-0233 .- 1361-6501. ; 27:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The so-called '3He-crisis' has motivated the neutron detector community to undertake an intense R&D programme in order to develop technologies alternative to standard 3He tubes and suitable for neutron detection systems in future spallation sources such as the European spallation source (ESS). Boron-based GEM (gas electron multiplier) detectors are a promising '3He-free' technology for thermal neutron detection in neutron scattering experiments. In this paper the evolution of boron-based GEM detectors from planar to 3D converters with an application in diffraction measurements is presented. The use of 3D converters coupled with GEMs allows for an optimization of the detector performances. Three different detectors were used for diffraction measurements on the INES instrument at the ISIS spallation source. The performances of the GEM-detectors are compared with those of conventional 3He tubes installed on the INES instrument. The conceptual detector with the 3D converter used in this paper reached a count rate per unit area of about 25% relative to the currently installed 3He tube. Its timing resolution is similar and the signal-to-background ratio (S/B) is 2 times lower.
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| 2. |
- Anastasopoulos, M., et al.
(författare)
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Multi-Grid detector for neutron spectroscopy : Results obtained on time-of-flight spectrometer CNCS
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Instrumentation. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 1748-0221. ; 12:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Multi-Grid detector technology has evolved from the proof-of-principle and characterisation stages. Here we report on the performance of the Multi-Grid detector, the MG.CNCS prototype, which has been installed and tested at the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer, CNCS at SNS. This has allowed a side-by-side comparison to the performance of 3He detectors on an operational instrument. The demonstrator has an active area of 0.2 m2. It is specifically tailored to the specifications of CNCS. The detector was installed in June 2016 and has operated since then, collecting neutron scattering data in parallel to the He-3 detectors of CNCS. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of this data, in particular on instrument energy resolution, rate capability, background and relative efficiency. Stability, gamma-ray and fast neutron sensitivity have also been investigated. The effect of scattering in the detector components has been measured and provides input to comparison for Monte Carlo simulations. All data is presented in comparison to that measured by the 3He detectors simultaneously, showing that all features recorded by one detector are also recorded by the other. The energy resolution matches closely. We find that the Multi-Grid is able to match the data collected by 3He, and see an indication of a considerable advantage in the count rate capability. Based on these results, we are confident that the Multi-Grid detector will be capable of producing high quality scientific data on chopper spectrometers utilising the unprecedented neutron flux of the ESS.
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| 3. |
- Birch, J, et al.
(författare)
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Investigation of background in large-area neutron detectors due to alpha emission from impurities in aluminium
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Instrumentation. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 1748-0221. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thermal neutron detector based on films of (B4C)-B-10 have been developed as an alternative to He-3 detectors. In particular, The Multi-Grid detector concept is considered for future large area detectors for ESS and ILL instruments. An excellent signal-to-background ratio is essential to attain expected scientific results. Aluminium is the most natural material for the mechanical structure of of the Multi-Grid detector and other similar concepts due to its mechanical and neutronic properties. Due to natural concentration of alpha emitters, however, the background from alpha particles misidentified as neutrons can be unacceptably high. We present our experience operating a detector prototype affected by this issue. Monte Carlo simulations have been used to confirm the background as alpha particles. The issues have been addressed in the more recent implementations of the Multi-Grid detector by the use of purified aluminium as well as Ni-plating of standard aluminium. The result is the reduction in background by two orders of magnitude. A new large-area prototype has been built incorporating these modifications.
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| 4. |
- Höglund, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Growth and oxidization stability of cubic Zr1-xGdxN solid solution thin films
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 117:19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report Zr1-xGdxN thin films deposited by magnetron sputter deposition. We show a solid solubility of the highly neutron absorbing GdN into ZrN along the whole compositional range, which is in excellent agreement with our recent predictions by first-principles calculations. An oxidization study in air shows that Zr1-xGdxN with x reaching from 1 to close to 0 fully oxidizes, but that the oxidization is slowed down by an increased amount of ZrN or stopped by applying a capping layer of ZrN. The crystalline quality of Zr0.5Gd0.5N films increases with substrate temperatures increasing from 100 degrees C to 900 degrees C.
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| 5. |
- Höglund, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Stability of (B4C)-B-10 thin films under neutron radiation
- 2015
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Ingår i: Radiation Physics and Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-806X .- 1879-0895. ; 113, s. 14-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thin films of (B4C)-B-10 have shown to be very suitable as neutron-converting material in the next generation of neutron detectors, replacing the previous predominantly used He-3. In this contribution we show under realistic conditions that (B4C)-B-10 films are not damaged by the neutron irradiation and interactions, which they will be exposed to under many years in a neutron detector. 1 mu m thick (B4C)-B-10 thin films were deposited onto Al or Si substrates using dc magnetron sputtering. As-deposited films were exposed to a cold neutron beam with fluences of up to 1.1 x 10(14) cm(-2) and a mean wavelength of 6.9 angstrom. Both irradiated and as-deposited reference samples were characterized with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. We show that only 1.8 ppm of the B-10 atoms were consumed and that the film composition does not change by the neutron interaction within the measurement accuracy. The irradiation does not deteriorate the film adhesion and there is no indication that it results in increased residual stress values of the as-deposited films of 0.095 GPa. From what is visible with the naked eye and down to atomic level studies, no change from the irradiation could be found using the above-mentioned characterization techniques. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
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| 6. |
- Schmidt, Susann, et al.
(författare)
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Low-temperature growth of boron carbide coatings by direct current magnetron sputtering and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Science. - New York : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0022-2461 .- 1573-4803. ; 51:23, s. 10418-10428
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- B4C coatings for 10B-based neutron detector applications were deposited using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) processes. The coatings were deposited on Si(001) as well as on flat and macrostructured (grooved) Al blades in an industrial coating unit using B4C compound targets in Ar. The HiPIMS and DCMS processes were conducted at substrate temperatures of 100 and 400 °C and the Ar pressure was varied between 300 and 800 mPa. Neutron detector-relevant coating characterization was performed and the coating properties were evaluated with regard to their growth rate, density, level of impurities, and residual coating stress. The coating properties are mainly influenced by general process parameters such as the Ar pressure and substrate temperature. The deposition mode shows only minor effects on the coating quality and no effects on the step coverage. At a substrate temperature of 100 °C and an Ar pressure of 800 mPa, well-adhering and functional coatings were deposited in both deposition modes; the coatings showed a density of 2.2 g/cm3, a B/C ratio of ~3.9, and the lowest compressive residual stresses of 180 MPa. The best coating quality was obtained in DCMS mode using an Ar pressure of 300 mPa and a substrate temperature of 400 °C. Such process parameters yielded coatings with a slightly higher density of 2.3 g/cm3, a B/C ratio of ~4, and the compressive residual stresses limited to 220 MPa.
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