title: Alpha-ray spectrometry at high temperature by using a compound semiconductor detector.
abstract: The use of conventional radiation detectors in harsh environments is limited by radiation damage to detector materials and by temperature constraints. We fabricated a wide-band gap semiconductor radiation detector based on silicon carbide. All the detector components were considered for an application in a high temperature environment like a nuclear reactor core. The radiation response, especially to alpha particles, was measured using an (241)Am source at variable operating voltages at room temperature in the air. The temperature on detector was controlled from 30°C to 250°C. The alpha-particle spectra were measured at zero bias operation. Even though the detector is operated at high temperature, the energy resolution as a function of temperature is almost constant within 3.5% deviation.
authors: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 305-353, South Korea. jhha@kaeri.re.kr
authors: Jang Ho
authors: JH
authors: Ha
authors: Han Soo
authors: HS
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000512:Alpha Particles; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012666:Semiconductors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers
keywords: Alpha-particle spectroscopy; High temperature environment; Radiation hardness; Semiconductor detector; SiC