A miniaturized neutron detector and counting system

This paper describes the design, construction, testing, and operation of hand-held thermal neutron detecting system (the “B-10”). The neutron-sensitive element in the device is a Hamamatsu type 3590-04 silicon PIN photodiode coated with a thin (≈5 micrometer) coating of elemental ¹⁰B. Neutrons absorbed in the coating cause fissions from which one of the resulting charged-particles enter the diode where the particle´s kinetic energy is converted into a charge pulse. Charge pulses are converted to voltage pulses and are counted by digital circuitry