Engineered 3D Material Matrices with Embedded Semiconductor Micro/Nano-pillars for Radiation Sensing

该奖项的研究目标是研究由联合收割机高效电子-空穴对收集材料与辐射敏感材料相结合的功能材料基质实现的辐射传感机制。该方法是基于半导体结光电探测器的垂直取向的支柱，将嵌入在功能性辐射敏感材料，如富集硼的形状的制造。将建立检测效率与装置参数（例如柱尺寸、柱间距离、表面平坦性和用于柱与辐射感测材料的界面处的最佳电荷转移的低电阻接触）之间的关系。将研究在不同生长条件下材料基质中存在的应变，以使界面应力最小化。这项研究还将包括先进的表面钝化技术，如在柱状探测器周围水热生长富集硼化合物，以同时作为钝化涂层和中子敏感材料，这项研究的成果如果成功，将导致高效，轻质，低成本和大面积的固态辐射传感器。这种装置将提供氦同位素的替代品，氦同位素目前用于传统的中子探测器，除了对微音敏感性、高工作电压、高压和由于大占地面积而导致的可现场性差等缺点之外，还面临着迫在眉睫的供应短缺。通过半导体行业使用的制造工艺的应用，该研究提供了一种新的先进辐射传感系统的潜力，该系统可以与高速读出电子设备集成，用于粒子物理，国土安全，防扩散，中子射线照相和材料表征。基于这项研究的教育和推广计划将扩大代表性不足的群体在科学和技术方面的参与，并通过与国家实验室的积极合作，培养未来的多学科科学家和工程师。

The research objective of this award is to study the radiation sensing mechanism enabled by functional material matrices that combine highly efficient electron-hole pair collecting materials with radiation sensitive materials. The approach is based on the fabrication of semiconductor junction photodetectors in the shape of vertically oriented pillars that will be embedded in functional radiation sensitive materials such as enriched boron. The relation between the detection efficiency and device parameters such as pillar dimensions, inter-pillar distances, surface planarity and low resistance contacts for optimum charge transfer at the interface of the pillars and the radiation sensing materials will be established. The strain present in the material matrices under different growth conditions will be studied to minimize the interface stresses. The study will also include advanced surface passivation techniques such as hydrothermal growth of enriched boron compounds around the pillar detectors to simultaneously act as passivation coatings as well as neutron sensitive materials.The outcome of this research, if successful, will lead to highly efficient, lightweight, low-cost and large area solid-state radiation sensors. Such devices will offer alternatives to helium isotopes that are currently being used in conventional neutron detectors and are facing a looming supply shortage, in addition to the disadvantages such as susceptibility to microphonics, high operational voltage, high pressure and poor fieldability due to large footprint. Through the applications of manufacturing processes used by the semiconductor industry, the research offers the potential to enable a new class of advanced radiation sensing systems that can be integrated with high-speed read-out electronics for applications in particle physics, homeland security, non-proliferation, neutron radiography and material characterization. Educational and outreach programs based on this research will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in science and technology and train future multidisciplinary scientists and engineers through an active collaboration with the National Laboratories.