MEASUREMENTS OF THE RECOIL-ION RESPONSE OF SILICON CARBIDE DETECTORS TO FAST NEUTRONS

SiC semiconductor radiation detectors are being developed as neutron energy spectrometers for reactor dosimetry and monitoring applications in high-temperature, high-radiation environments. Detailed pulse-height response measurements have been carried out using isotopic 252Cf fission neutron and 241Am_Be (a,n) neutron sources as well as with electronic deuterium-deuterium and deuterium-tritium sources providing 2.S-MeV, 8.S-MeV and 14.I-MeV monoenergetic neutrons. The SiC energy response characteristics are presented and compared to those of a comparable Si neutron detector. Individual nuclear reaction peaks have been identified and are being used to characterize the energy deposition properties of charged particles from neutron-induced reactions in SiC detectors for a parallel response-modeling effort.