Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Perovskite Semiconductor-Based High-Flux Neutron Detector with BN Converter

Neutrons are analyzed in various fields such as space exploration, neutron radiography, and medicine. When neutrons are employed, a neutron detector is required to control the exposure dose. However, issues such as detector radiation tolerance, response linearity, and γ-ray noise limit the development of effective neutron detectors. Metal halide perovskite based direct conversion radiation detectors exhibit attractive characteristics such as being solution-processable at low temperatures and possessing tunable band gaps, low trap density, high charge carrier mobility, high radiation tolerance, and fast responses. The perovskite device’s potential for high-flux neutron applications has not been greatly determined; however, only related research has been conducted thus far. Here, we demonstrate a hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite semiconductor based neutron detector that satisfies all high-flux neutron detection requirements. The perovskite device was designed to possess a structure similar to that of solar cells and could be driven solely by the built-in potential, without an applied voltage. Using this perovskite device, a neutron detector was designed to maximize the efficiency of the back side conversion configuration and minimize sensitivity variations. Experiments on irradiation with the spectrum neutrons and calculations of the reaction rates revealed a 25 meV neutron sensitivity of 6.0 × 10–17 A n–1 cm–2 and a detection limit of 106 n cm–2 s–1. Further, an optical response test showed that a dynamic detection range with 6–7 orders of magnitude was realized. The detection characteristics for high-flux neutrons indicated a stable operation with no degradation during neutron irradiation at a fluence of −1012 cm–2. Moreover, noise from γ-rays had an insignificant effect on the accuracy of the neutron flux measurements. These results highlight that the proposed neutron detector based on a perovskite solar cell is a suitable monitoring sensor for high-flux neutrons.