$\beta$-Ga2O3 Solid-State Devices for Fast Neutron Detection

Examination of Ga
₂
O
₃
as solid-state nuclear detector was carried out. Ga
₂
O
₃
is a wide bandgap material with beneficial physical properties that enable its application in harsh environmental conditions, such as elevated temperature or strong electromagnetic field; therefore, Ga
₂
O
₃
could become a competitor of diamond and 4H silicon-carbide nuclear detectors. Furthermore, because of its high oxygen content the new detector material can play an important role in the field of reactor research due to the
¹⁶
O(n,
$\alpha )^{13}\text{C}$
reaction. Monocrystalline
$\beta $
-Ga
₂
O
₃
samples were investigated under 14 MeV fast neutron irradiation. On unintentionally doped semiconducting and Mg-doped insulating crystals metallic films were deposited in order to form the contact electrodes for biasing and to collect the electron-hole pairs generated by secondary particles after nuclear interactions between neutrons and the nuclei of the Ga
₂
O
₃
crystal. The Mg-doped sample could be operated from zero up to more than 1000 V biasing level. The recorded electric signal and energy histograms were investigated.