Evaluation of Radiation Tolerance of ⁶ LiInP ₂ Se ₆ for Neutron Science

Lithium indium phosphorus selenide, ⁶ LiInP ₂ Se ₆ (LIPSe), has been proposed as a novel semiconductor detector for neutron scattering science applications. Compared with ³ He gas and scintillation detectors currently in use at neutron scattering facilities, semiconductors, such as LIPSe, offer excellent timing and spatial resolution with acceptable efficiency. A known drawback of semiconductor detectors is the low tolerance of heavy charged particle radiation such as the products emitted by the ⁶ Li( n , T) ⁴ He reaction used for the detection of neutrons. It is therefore necessary to study whether or not LIPSe is capable of withstanding the level of neutron fluence it may be exposed to throughout operational service as part of a thorough investigation of its suitability for use in instrumentation at modern beam lines. An analysis of radiation damage to LIPSe was conducted using grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and direct measurements of alpha radiation response. Results suggest that thin samples retain operability as a neutron detector at up to 10 ¹⁵  n/cm ² s, though some sources of systematic error may cause alpha response spectra to be degraded beyond what might be expected in practical applications.