Diamond Radiation Detector with Built‐In Boron‐Doped Neutron Converter Layer

Abstract

Herein, a radiation detector made of polycrystalline diamond with a boron (B)‐doped neutron converter layer is presented. The detector is fabricated by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique, and consists of an undoped free‐standing polycrystalline diamond layer and a B‐doped polycrystalline diamond top layer that serves as an electrical contact and a converter for neutron‐alpha conversion. Characterization of the diamond films and detector operation is presented. The results indicate that the B‐doped layer acts as an effective neutron‐alpha converter, whereby neutron detection is demonstrated in particle‐counting mode using a multichannel analyzer.