B Conformal Doping for Highly Efficient Thermal Neutron Detectors.

This paper reports a simple and novel conformal doping strategy for microstructured silicon diodes using enriched B for sidewall doping while enabling enhanced neutron sensitivity. Monte-Carlo nuclear particle (MCNP) code simulations were initially used to calculate the neutron detection efficiency in the microstructured diodes as a function of geometry and pitch. A high-temperature anneal in B-filled diodes results in a conformal silicon p layer along the side walls of the trenches in the diodes.