학술논문

Design and Characterization of a Facility for Fast Neutron Irradiation of Semiconductors at Penn State
Document Type
stp-paper
Source
Reactor Dosimetry: Radiation Metrology and Assessment, Jan 2001, Vol. 2001, No. 1398, pp. 191-198.
Subject
fast neutron irradiation facility
research reactors
semiconductor irradiation
Monte Carlo simulations
MCNP
dosimetry
spectrum unfolding
SAND-II
DOSIMETRY FOR TEST REACTORS AND ACCELERATOR SOURCES
Language
English
Abstract
This paper describes the design and characterization of a fast neutron irradiation facility (FNI) at the Penn State Breazeale Reactor. The facility was designed to provide a hard neutron spectrum with a minimum of contamination by thermal neutrons and gamma rays, and to accommodate semiconductor wafers of up to 8 inches (∼20 cm) in diameter. The design was effected through two-step Monte Carlo simulations that included (i) core criticality simulations, and (ii) FNI shielding analysis. A rectangular FNI shape was selected to improve the neutronic coupling between the FNI and the core. Analysis was performed to determine an optimum combination of materials and their dimensions. The FNI was constructed and it has been in use for about two years now. A set of activation foils was irradiated to obtain the FNI neutron spectrum andevaluate spatial flux distribution. The neutron spectrum was unfolded using the SAND-II code. Good agreement was observed between the calculated and measured data.