薄窗型多阳极气体探测器研究进展

薄窗型气体探测器是最近发展并用于低能量加速器质谱探测技术。该探测器的入射窗采用氮化硅膜,薄而均匀,分辨率高,目前已在低能量粒子探测技术中得到初步应用,显示出广泛的应用前景。本文主要从薄窗型气体探测器基本原理、薄氮化硅膜与Mylar膜的对比、不同质子数Z的低能量粒子脉冲高度对比、薄窗型气体探测器与硅探测器的对比,以及应用等方面进行阐述。     

一种新型气体探测器的研制

加速器质谱(accelerator mass spectrometry,AMS)技术因探测对象不同,探测器也应根据需要进行选择。为建立低能量重离子加速器质谱测量技术,本文设计制作一台新型气体探测器并调试应用。该探测器采用厚度50 nm,膜面积8 mm×8 mm的氮化硅膜作为入射窗。采用5.48 MeV的241Am源的α粒子对探测器进行调试,调试后将该探测器安装于中国原子能科学研究院的300 kV小型AMS系统上进行129I粒子测量。经模拟计算以及对探测器的调试、应用,证明该探测器具有较高的能量分辨率,可以很好的实现不同粒子的鉴别,同时测量灵敏度可达到10^-13国际水平,满足低能量重离子的测量要求。     

低能重离子薄窗型气体电离室的设计

正为建立低能重核素加速器质谱测量技术,需研发薄窗型气体电离室。对于传统的气体电离室,一般采用Mylar膜,但其厚度需在1μm左右,但低能重核素在这种膜中会损失很大能量(SRIM模拟1.2 MeV的~(129)I穿不过1μm的Mylar膜,如图1所示),导致电离室无法测量低能重离子。为解决这个问题,30nm厚的Si_3N_4膜作为探测器的入射窗,SRIM模拟显示1.2 MeV的~(129)I在30nm厚的Si_3N_4窗中损失的能量为0.113 MeV,满足低能重核素测量要求。在此基础上,开展了低能重核素探测器的设计和建造,结构如图2所示,     

厚GEM探测器对γ射线探测效率的研究

作为一种新型微结构气体探测器(MPGD)，厚型气体电子倍增器（THGEM）用于较高能量光子探测是新的尝试。为了解其探测机理及探测效率的主要影响因素，利用多粒子输运软件、多物理耦合仿真软件及气体电离模拟软件，分别建立了光子与探测器相互作用模型、电子漂移扩散模型和气体电离模型。通过仿真得到了漂移极内表面和膜上电极的电子出射概率，¹³⁷Cs在漂移极内表面产生激发电子的能量分布和角分布。动态模拟了电子在特定电场中的漂移和横向扩散行为，定量计算了原初电子的入孔数量和入孔效率。最后通过实验验证，证明增大漂移区距离和提高THGEM膜间电压可显著提高THGEM对γ射线的探测效率。     

一个简易的正比计数器探测系统

本文介绍了一个低能量γ射线探测器系统,它由端窗型流气式正比计数器和一个具有双极脉冲对基线漂移补偿的前置放大器组成。正比计数器是一个两端用有机玻璃薄窗密封的直径为70mm、长为30mm的薄壁硬铝圆筒。阳极丝用直径为25μm的镀金钨丝直接固定在薄窗的中心,使阳极丝周围的电场分布均匀,减少端点效应,提高能量分辨率。入射的γ射线通过端窗后平行于阳极丝方向,增加了γ射线在工作气体中的作用长度,     

厚GEM探测器对γ射线探测效率的研究

作为一种新型微结构气体探测器(MPGD),厚型气体电子倍增器(THGEM)用于较高能量光子探测是新的尝试。为了解其探测机理及探测效率的主要影响因素,利用多粒子输运软件、多物理耦合仿真软件及气体电离模拟软件,分别建立了光子与探测器相互作用模型、电子漂移扩散模型和气体电离模型。通过仿真得到了漂移极内表面和膜上电极的电子出射概率,~(137)Cs在漂移极内表面产生激发电子的能量分布和角分布。动态模拟了电子在特定电场中的漂移和横向扩散行为,定量计算了原初电子的入孔数量和入孔效率。最后通过实验验证,证明增大漂移区距离和提高THGEM膜间电压可显著提高THGEM对γ射线的探测效率。     

序言

正气体探测器以气体作为工作介质,通过入射粒子在其中产生的电离效应探测粒子。气体探测器作为历史最悠久的粒子探测器,起源于十九世纪末的核物理研究,经过一百多年的发展,现已具有很多成熟类型,成为粒子探测器大家族的重要成员。得益于气体介质的特点,气体探测器结构灵活,功能多样,性价比高,易于大规模使用,从计数测量和剂量检测,到能量测量,再到精确的位置测量和快速时间测量等各方面都有广泛的应用。气体探测器的发展和核与粒子物理学的发展紧密相联。早在1898年,居里夫妇在发现放射性同位素镭和钋时就使用了电离室,气体探测器随后在核与粒子物理实验的持续驱动下得到了蓬勃发展,而气体探测器的发展又极大推动了核与粒子物理实验研究。1968年,法国物理学家G.Charpak发明了多丝正比室,实现了大面积条件下基于电信号的快速粒子径迹测量,这是探测器技术发展中的一次革命,开启了现代高能物理实验的大门,G.Charpak也因此在1992年获得了诺贝尔物理学奖。气体探测器早已超出了传统低能核物理领域,深入渗透到了核与粒子物理实验以及核科学与工程的各个方面。     

硅光伏探测器探测α粒子研究

采用蒙特卡罗方法计算了硅光伏探测器探测α粒子的能量分辨率等参数,通过实验测得了其α谱和探测效率。实验表明,硅光伏探测器对α粒子具有较高的探测效率和能量分辨率,受β、γ射线影响小,非常适合用作α粒子探测器。     

栅型气体电子倍增器的研制

实践中发现，微结构气体探测器（MPGD）遇到三方面挑战：打火时放电电流的抑制与稳定运行、单元面积增大后的生产工艺以及孔型结构带来的探测位置重建偏差。为解决以上问题，本文提出了一种新型结构的MPGD--栅型气体电子倍增器（Groove）。使用3种不同几何尺寸的栅型电极，在不同气体中对8.04 keV铜靶X射线的能谱进行测量，以检验探测器性能。与蒙特卡罗模拟计算结果对比表明，探测器信号主要来自雪崩产生的离子。能谱测量结果显示：栅极狭缝宽度0.2 mm、厚度0.8 mm的探测器增益和能量分辨率好于其他尺寸的探测器；在93%Ar+7%CO₂中运行时，探测器增益与分辨率两项指标稍好于在95%Ar+5%CH₄中。测量得到的探测器增益最高可达3×10⁴左右，能量分辨率最高可达15.6%。     

X射线正比计数管的使用

X射线正比计数管是一种气体型的X射线探测器件,它工作在气体放电正比区,有气体放大现象,因而信噪比高。和闪烁探测器相比,能量分辨率好,允许在较高计数率下工作,对低能X射线有较高的探测效率。因此,X射线正比计数管是探测低能X射线和γ射线的能量和强度的良好探测器。     

Low-energy heavy-ion TOF-ERDA setup for quantitative depth profiling of thin films

Low-energy heavy-ion time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (TOF-ERDA) is becoming a mature technique for accurate characterization of thin films. In combination with a small tandem accelerator (∼2 MV terminal voltage) and beam energies below 20 MeV, it is suitable for routine analysis of key materials in semiconductor technology. In this paper we discuss advantages and drawbacks of low-energy ERDA, compared to high-energy ERDA, in terms of depth and mass resolution, detection efficiency for light elements, sample irradiation damage and quantification accuracy.The results presented are obtained with the time-of-flight telescope recently developed at IMEC. The time-of-flight is measured with timing gates based on electrostatic mirrors and is acquired in coincidence with the energy signal measured by a planar Si detector.     

The development of a time of flight spectrometer for LARN

An elastic recoil detection time of flight system to depth profile light elements has been developed on ALTAÏS, the new Tandetron accelerator at LARN. The detector mounted at 45° from the beam axis consists of two isochronous electron detectors for the timing signal (START and STOP) and a 450 mm² heavy ion PIPS detector that detects the energy of the recoil atoms. The 2MV Tandem accelerator provides heavy ion beams with a maximum energy of 16 MeV depending on the charge transfer efficiency of the gas exchange canal located in the middle of the machine. A large variety of primary ion beams like ²⁸Si, ³⁵Cl, ⁶³Cu, ¹²⁷I or ¹⁹⁷Au can be produced with the SINIX heavy ion source and accelerated on the target. Typical current around 1 nA can be obtained. The energy transfer to the recoil atoms is typically in the MeV range and depends on the mass and the energy of the projectile. Some secondary effects like the energy loss in the carbon foils of the timing detector but also in the entrance window of the energy detector should not be neglected if we try to depth profile light elements with this technique. Time resolution of about 1 ns for the electrons detectors is suitable to obtain 1 amu mass resolution. Some examples of applications will be developed in this paper.     

Annular gas ionization detector for low energy heavy ion backscattering spectrometry

A gas ionization chamber for use in backscattering spectrometry has been built. It has the shape of a hollow cylinder and can be placed in-line with the incident ion beam. The entrance window for detected particles is composed of a circular array of silicon nitride membranes. A low noise preamplifier with cooled FET is used for charge amplification. The detector resolution has been measured for a variety of ions in the mass range from He to Si and for energies between 0.5 and 8 MeV. The energy resolution of the ionization chamber surpasses the one of a state-of-the-art silicon charged particle detector for all ions heavier than Li. For Si ions the improvement in resolution is more than a factor of 2. The device does not suffer from any radiation damage. For He particles around 1 MeV the resolution is between 13 and 16 keV (FWHM). Therefore the new detector is not only well suited for heavy ion backscattering spectrometry but can also be applied for standard He RBS, allowing the use of a single detector for all types of projectiles in a wide energy range.     

Applications of Detectors in Low Energy Nuclear Physics

This review paper discusses new applications of detectors in low energy nuclear physics and emphasizes semiconductor particle detectors where new developments have had an outstanding influence on the nuclear physics which can be done. The paper includes an account of: new limits of detector resolution; a new method for measurement of gamma ray lifetimes; gamma-gamma angular correlation studies with multiple scintillation detectors; kinematic energy shift correction with radial position sensitive detectors; an improved particle identification system with multiple detectors; and the application of germanium to measurements of long-range charged particles. The paper also discusses present state-of-the-art limitations and possibilities in areas of particular importance to nuclear physics.     

Wafer-Bonded Silicon Gamma-Ray Detectors

A wafer-bonded silicon power transistor has been shown to function as an x-ray detector. The device consists of two thin device wafers bonded onto either side of a 2 mm-thick high-resistivity silicon wafer. The hydrophobic bonding process was performed at 400deg C. This low temperature wafer bonding technique should enable the development of large-area, position-sensitive detectors, using thick, high-resistivity intrinsic silicon bonded to thin readout wafers fabricated using conventional CMOS technology. These devices should enable fabrication of thicker intrinsic silicon detectors than currently available. Thick, position-sensitive detectors based on double-sided strip detectors and pixellated detectors are possible. To demonstrate this, a 1 mm thick gamma-ray detector was created from two 0.5 mm thick wafers that were patterned with gamma-ray strip detectors. The energy resolution of the detector is 8.9 keV FWHM for 60 keV gamma rays at room temperature with a leakage of 0.9 nA while operating at 700 V and fully depleted. Improvements in the technique should allow for thicker detectors with better energy resolution.     

北京G120型Q3D磁谱仪焦面探测器系统

根据HI－13串列加速器及Q3D磁谱仪的特点和物理研究课题的要求，提出了与谱仪配用的焦面探测器的重要技术性能的要求。对磁谱仪和焦面探测器的联合系统的离子鉴别方法予以较详细的讨论。提出了模型设计的参数，并估算了各种可能的贡献及最后可获得的性能及修正方法。最后给出了运行中的轻、重离子探测器的性能的实验结果。     

Data acquisition for the Combined Ion and Neutron Spectrometer (CINS)

The CINS (Combined Ion and Neutron Spectrometer) consists of three detector systems: a boron-loaded plastic scintillator for medium energy neutrons, a silicon detector system for high-energy neutrons, and a charged particle stack containing both silicon detectors and scintillators. A readout system built for the charged particle stack is described here. The stack must be able to detect particles over a wide range of charge and energy. It contains 7 detectors, including 4 silicon detectors that each have two output paths. The readout must have a large usable dynamic range and must be able to handle the relatively high event rates that occur when the stack is placed in an accelerator beam. The data acquisition system detects events (that is, compares incoming signals to user-supplied trigger definitions), proceeds to capture waveform data from the preamplifiers, and saves the data to a hard drive. Although only used with the charged particle stack to date, the system can also be used with the other elements of CINS.     

固体气泡损伤探测器探测高能重离子的研究

用高能重离子Ar和C进行的实验表明：（1）高能重离子可以在固体气泡损伤探测器中产生径迹,重离子径迹呈直线形,由一连串微小气泡组成;（2）固体气泡损伤探测器探测重离子具有阈特性,阈的实质近似为临界能量损失率（dE／dX）C,这一阈特性与蚀刻径迹探测器类似。固体气泡损伤探测器的阈值为（dE／dX）c=2220MeV／g·cm2,可用于重离子物理、宇宙射线和宇宙暗物质探测以及癌症治疗模拟等领域。     

离子束辅助沉积立方氮化硼的试验研究

运用离子束辅助沉积(IBAD)法在硅片上制备了立方氮化硼(c—BN)薄膜，研究了辅助能量、辅助束流及辅助束中氮气含量等参数对膜中c—BN含量的影响。用红外光谱(FTIR)及X射线光电子能谱(XPS)分析技术对得到的c—BN膜进行了分析。结果表明：合适的离子辅助能量能够获得c—BN含量高的薄膜；膜中c—BN的含量随辅助气体中N2含量的提高而增加；辅助束流对薄膜的形成影响不明显。