D. M. Trucchi

Diamond Detectors for UV and X-Ray Source Imaging

This work reports on the realization and test of a compact beam-profiling system for UV and X-ray sources, based on polycrystalline CVD diamond detectors. Multistrip and pixel structures have been used for 1-D and 2-D photodetectors, respectively. A dedicated read-out electronic circuitry has been designed and used to independently sample the signal produced by each strip (or pixel), enabling a real-time beam profile reconstruction.

Design and characterization of a tissue-equivalent CVD-diamond detector for clinical dosimetry in high-energy photon beams

New solid-state detectors, based on chemical vapour deposited (CVD) polycrystalline diamonds produced by hot-filament (HF) or microwave plasma (MW) assisted deposition methods, were constructed for radiation therapy dosimetry. Properties of diamond crystals, such as high radiation sensitivity, resistance to radiation damage and tissue-equivalence giving a low-energy dependence are very advantageous for clinical dosimetry. Therefore the encapsulation was specially designed for these detectors to have as little influence as possible on the radiation response. The prototypes were irradiated with use of a wide range of photon beam qualities ((60)Co gamma-rays, 6 and 18 MV X-rays). The radiation sensitivity varied considerably between samples deposited with HF (9 nC Gy(-1)mm(-3)) and MW (66 and 144 nC Gy(-1)mm(-3)) methods. For all detectors the leakage current was of the order of 10% of the radiation-induced current (bias voltage 100 V, dose rate 0.3 Gy/min). When irradiated with (60)Co gamma-rays, the detectors showed a dose-rate linearity with an exponential Delta parameter close to unity. However, a difference of 8% was found between Delta values for the different beam qualities. A small energy dependence was observed, for which the most probable sources are interface effects due to the silver electrodes and partly the geometry of the encapsulation which needs to be further optimized. Despite some limitations in the performance of present prototype detectors, with an improved CVD technique producing crystals of better electrical and dosimetric properties, and with a well-designed tissue-equivalent encapsulation, CVD-diamonds could serve as very good dosimeters for radiotherapy.

Very Fast and Primingless Single-Crystal-Diamond X-Ray Dosimeters

X-ray dosimeters were developed by tailoring novel injecting diamond-like-carbon/Pt/Au contacts on single-crystal high-purity diamond films. A dark resistivity of (5.6 ± 0.1) × 10¹⁴ Ω · cm and no appreciable presence of deep traps in the bandgap confirmed a very low defect density in the diamond films. The dosimeters resulted to be primingless (i.e., no need of preactivation) and characterized by high sensitivity [(58.20 ± 3.26) × 10^-3 C · Gy^-1 cm^-3] and linear response to X-ray dose rate, produced by a molybdenum target. Transient X-ray modulated analysis allowed the determination of fast-trap influence and the estimation of very fast response times (~10^-3 s), at electric fields ≥ 3 × 10³ V/cm.

A diamond based neutron spectrometer for diagnostics of deuterium-tritium fusion plasmas

Single crystal Diamond Detectors (SDD) are being increasingly exploited for neutron diagnostics in high power fusion devices, given their significant radiation hardness and high energy resolution capabilities. The geometrical efficiency of SDDs is limited by the size of commercially available crystals, which is often smaller than the dimension of neutron beams along collimated lines of sight in tokamak devices. In this work, we present the design and fabrication of a 14 MeV neutron spectrometer consisting of 12 diamond pixels arranged in a matrix, so to achieve an improved geometrical efficiency. Each pixel is equipped with an independent high voltage supply and read-out electronics optimized to combine high energy resolution and fast signals (<30 ns), which are essential to enable high counting rate (>1 MHz) spectroscopy. The response function of a prototype SDD to 14 MeV neutrons has been measured at the Frascati Neutron Generator by observation of the 8.3 MeV peak from the (12)C(n, α)(9)Be reaction occurring between neutrons and (12)C nuclei in the detector. The measured energy resolution (2.5% FWHM) meets the requirements for neutron spectroscopy applications in deuterium-tritium plasmas.

CVD diamond dosimetric response evaluated by X-ray absorbers method

Abstract The DC electronic response of a small area polycrystalline diamond film irradiated by a low energy X-ray beam has been analysed. The relationship between the induced photocurrent and the X-ray flux has been investigated making use of an X-ray absorber method. Aluminium foils have been used to attenuate the direct beam and the metal–diamond–metal device response tested at several electric field values. The X-ray photocurrent shows a linear response of the device that has been observed for a large range of X-ray flux values.

Pixelated Single-crystal Diamond Detector for fast neutron measurements

Single-crystal Diamond Detectors (SDDs), due to their high radiation hardness, fast response time and small size, are good candidates as fast neutron detectors in those environments where the high neutron flux is an issue, such as spallation neutron sources and the next generation thermonuclear fusion plasmas, i.e. the ITER experiment. Neutron detection in SDDs is based on the collection of electron-hole pairs produced by charged particles generated by neutron interactions with 12C. Recent measurements have demonstrated the SDD capability of measuring the neutron flux with a good energy resolution and at high rates. In this work a novel detector based on a 12-pixels SDD matrix will be presented. Each pixel is equipped with an independent electronic chain: the fast shaping preamplifier coupled to a digitizer is able to combine the high rate capability and the good energy resolution. Two CAEN digitizers are compared and the possibility of performing good energy resolution measurements ( 1 MHz per channel) is described. Each pixel was characterized and calibrated using an 241Am source: the energy resolution was evaluated and gives a mean value of 1.73% at 5.5 MeV. The good energy resolution achieved and its uniformity between pixels are the demonstration of the capability of this novel detector as a spectrometer. This system will be installed during the next Deuterium-Tritium campaign on a collimated vertical line of sight at JET for 14 MeV neutron measurements.

Radiation-assisted Frenkel-Poole transport in single-crystal diamond

The measurement of the density of occupied states as a function of the applied electric field, performed on single-crystal chemical vapour deposition diamond by x-ray modulated photocurrent technique, is reported. Two regimes of non-linear charge transport were observed: a classical Frenkel-Poole (FP) process at high electric fields (>6800 V/cm), and a radiation-assisted transport mechanism at intermediate electric fields (2000 to 6800 V/cm), consisting of a double-step process in which the direct re-emission into the extended band occurs following multiple photo-induced FP-like hopping transitions.

Grain boundary transport in x-ray irradiated polycrystalline diamond

The transport properties of a “thin” polycrystalline diamond film are analyzed after the sample exposure to 8.06-keV x-ray radiation. Structure and morphology of the as-grown film have been evaluated by Raman, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The transport properties have been investigated by measuring dark current–voltage characteristics in the temperature range of 60 to 360 K. Ohmic transport has been evidenced on the as-grown film up to 1.16×105 V/cm. After irradiation, nonlinear contributions to the dark current have been evidenced and related to field-assisted thermal ionization of traps. Below 200 K, hopping mechanisms have been observed. Correlations have been found among x-ray irradiation, density of traps involved in the transport processes, and the nonhomogeneous nature of the sample. A simple model of the grain boundary structure is proposed to explain the observations.

First neutron spectroscopy measurements with a pixelated diamond detector at JET

A prototype Single crystal Diamond Detector (SDD) was installed at the Joint European Torus (JET) in 2013 along an oblique line of sight and demonstrated the possibility to carry out neutron spectroscopy measurements with good energy resolution and detector stability in discharges heated by neutral beam injection and radio-frequency waves. Starting from these positive results, within the Vertical Neutron Spectrometer project of the Joint European Torus, we have developed a pixelated instrument consisting of a matrix of 12 independent SDDs, called the Diamond Vertical Neutron Spectrometer (DVNS), which boosts the detection efficiency of a single SDD by an order of magnitude. In this paper we describe the main features of the DVNS, including the detector design, energy resolution, and data acquisition system for on-line processing. Preliminary spectroscopy measurements of 2.5 MeV neutrons from the present deuterium plasma at JET are finally presented.

Preliminary characterization of ST2G: Solar thermionic-thermoelectric generator for concentrating systems

An innovative conversion module (CM) for concentrating solar power applications, named ST2G (Solar Thermionic-Thermoelectric Generator), has been developed and fabricated. The new technology is based on a solid-state converter that works at temperatures up to 1000 °C and exploits a double conversion stage: a thermionic stage and a thermoelectric one, connected thermally in series. Potentially, the CM could reach a combined solar energy-to-electrical efficiency larger than 30%, producing also additional thermal energy to be exploited as a co-generation. Different prototypes have been fabricated and the discussion on the technological key-points has been reported, relating them to the physical requirements necessary for an efficient conversion mechanism. The preliminary results obtained at a lab-level are here discussed, indicating low electrical power output, but also how to increase the performance by solving the identified issues.