ARI-MA: Design and Growth of High Density, Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials

该项目研究使用专门为高分辨率室温识别裂变材料发出的射线而设计的新材料。这一努力将提高高密度、重元素半导体的科学水平和知识水平，这些半导体的能级差距相对较大。拟议中的项目具有潜在的变革性，因为它将利用基于降维概念的新材料设计思想来识别用于灵敏射线探测的新材料。共价骨架。使用晶体生长技术，我们将生长和测量各种半导体化合物，以验证它们的能隙和它们的电阻率。所需材料的最低室温电阻率要求为~108欧姆-厘米，以允许施加更大的偏置，从而导致更快的载流子漂移速度和更深的检测器件耗尽深度。对于最高Z的材料，通过选择诸如这里推荐的硫族化合物之类的化合物，也可以显著降低所谓的Fano噪声(从而提高能量分辨率)。这些材料将以晶体和设备的形式进行表征和测试，以进行射线探测。基于理论的材料设计将在很大程度上依赖于对高Z宽禁带半导体理想特性的基于知识的优化。选择过程和实验方法也将密切依赖于理论指导。这是综合、测量和理论之间的密切跨学科合作，涉及具有互补技能的群体。

This project investigates the use of novel materials specially designed for high resolution room-temperature identification of ã-rays emitted from fissile materials. This effort will enhance the state of the science and body of knowledge for highly dense, heavy element semiconductors with relatively wide energy gaps. The proposed project has the potential to be transformative in nature because it will identify new materials for sensitive ã-ray detection using a new idea for materials design based on the concept of ?dimensional reduction? of covalent frameworks. Using crystal growth techniques, we will grow and survey a variety of semiconducting compounds to validate their energy gaps and their resistivity. A minimum room temperature resistivity of ~108 Ohm-cm is required in the desired materials in order to allow for larger biases to be applied, resulting in faster carrier drift velocities and deeper depletion depths in the detection device. For the highest Z materials, the so-called Fano noise can also be substantially decreased (and thus energy resolution improved), by choosing compounds such as the chalcogenides proposed here. The materials will be characterized and tested in both crystal and device form for ã-ray detection. Theory-based materials design will depend strongly on knowledge-based optimization of the desirable properties of high Z wide gap semiconductors. The selection process and experimental approach will also rely closely on theoretical guidance. This is a close interdisciplinary collaboration between synthesis, measurement and theory involving groups with complementary skills.