High Temperature Semiconductor Sensor for Bore Hole Logging

石油、天然气、矿物或地热能资源的勘探钻探，以及纯粹出于科学目的的钻探，通常需要钻孔温度超过150摄氏度。高温条件使目前的核测量工具无法用于重要变量的钻孔记录，例如密度(通过伽马射线背向散射测量)或化学成分(通过中子激活技术)。今天用于这些应用的核探测器必须进行冷却，但孔的尺寸不允许系统在实际工作温度下维持一段时间所需的笨重的冷却设备。本项目是对高原子序数、高密度候选固态核探测器碲化锌的性能进行研究，理论上能够在200℃或更高的温度下有效地工作。对ZnTe性质的初步调查是小型企业创新研究计划下的第一阶段项目。这一阶段的成功完成预计将导致开发一种用于钻孔测井的高温传感器系统，这将具有重要的科学和商业效益。

Exploratory drilling for oil, gas, mineral, or geothermal energy resources, as well as drilling for purely scientific purposes, often involves bore hole temperatures in excess of150C. High temperature conditions prevent current nuclear measurement tools from being used for bore hole logging of important variables such as density (via gamma ray backscattering measurements) or chemical composition (via neutron activation techniques). Nuclear detectors in use today for these applications must be cooled, but the bore hole dimensions do not allow for the bulky cooling apparatus that would be needed to maintain the system at working temperatures for a practical period of time. This project is an investigation of the properties of zinc telluride (ZnTe), a high atomic number, high density candidate solid state nuclear detector theoretically capable of operating efficiently at 200C or higher. The initial investigation of ZnTe properties is a Phase I project under the program for Small Business Innovation Research. Successful completion of this phase is expected to lead to the development of a high.temperature sensor system for drill hole logging that would have important scientific as well as commercial benefits.