Frontiers in Physics (Sep 2021)

Characterization of Diamond and Silicon Carbide Detectors With Fission Fragments

  • M. L. Gallin-Martel,
  • Y. H. Kim,
  • L. Abbassi,
  • A. Bes,
  • C. Boiano,
  • S. Brambilla,
  • J. Collot,
  • G. Colombi,
  • G. Colombi,
  • T. Crozes,
  • S. Curtoni,
  • D. Dauvergne,
  • C. Destouches,
  • F. Donatini,
  • L. Gallin-Martel,
  • O. Ghouini,
  • J. Y. Hostachy,
  • Ł. W. Iskra,
  • Ł. W. Iskra,
  • M. Jastrzab,
  • G. Kessedjian,
  • U. Köster,
  • A. Lacoste,
  • A. Lyoussi,
  • S. Marcatili,
  • J. F. Motte,
  • J. F. Muraz,
  • T. Nowak,
  • L. Ottaviani,
  • J. Pernot,
  • A. Portier,
  • A. Portier,
  • W. Rahajandraibe,
  • M. Ramdhane,
  • M. Rydygier,
  • C. Sage,
  • A. Tchoualack,
  • L. Tribouilloy,
  • M. Yamouni

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2021.732730
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Experimental fission studies for reaction physics or nuclear spectroscopy can profit from fast, efficient, and radiation-resistant fission fragment (FF) detectors. When such experiments are performed in-beam in intense thermal neutron beams, additional constraints arise in terms of target-detector interface, beam-induced background, etc. Therefore, wide gap semi-conductor detectors were tested with the aim of developing innovative instrumentation for such applications. The detector characterization was performed with mass- and energy-separated fission fragment beams at the ILL (Institut Laue Langevin) LOHENGRIN spectrometer. Two single crystal diamonds, three polycrystalline and one diamond-on-iridium as well as a silicon carbide detector were characterized as solid state ionization chamber for FF detection. Timing measurements were performed with a 500-µm thick single crystal diamond detector read out by a broadband amplifier. A timing resolution of ∼10.2 ps RMS was obtained for FF with mass A = 98 at 90 MeV kinetic energy. Using a spectroscopic preamplifier developed at INFN-Milano, the energy resolution measured for the same FF was found to be slightly better for a ∼50-µm thin single crystal diamond detector (∼1.4% RMS) than for the 500-µm thick one (∼1.6% RMS), while a value of 3.4% RMS was obtained with the 400-µm silicon carbide detector. The Pulse Height Defect (PHD), which is significant in silicon detectors, was also investigated with the two single crystal diamond detectors. The comparison with results from α and triton measurements enabled us to conclude that PHD leads to ∼50% loss of the initial generated charge carriers for FF. In view of these results, a possible detector configuration and integration for in-beam experiments has been discussed.

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