Characteristics of a silicon on insulator neutron detector

We have characterized several Silicon On Insulator (SOI) devices for use as neutron detectors. SOI neutron detectors offer the advantage of a rugged structure with large area while incorporating a thin Si layer coated with a converter material. The performance of these SOI detectors depends on the thickness of the Si layer, the dimensions of the strips, on the converter material and its thickness. This paper describes the design of the SOI wafer, the characteristics of the devices on the SOI wafer and the initial testing of the devices as neutron detectors. SOI wafers of two different Si thicknesses, with varying dimensions for the strip pitch were characterized. The IV and CV properties of the different devices were studied. The devices were then coated with the converter material and used to detect neutrons. We present results from a SOI neutron detector of large surface area that is ¿ blind.