First Results from Testing the Utility of Prototype Solid State Detectors With Particle Beams

Neutron and heavy-ion detection has traditionally been both expensive and bulky, making arrays of detectors both cost-prohibitive and difficult to transport. The prototype solid-state detectors tested in this experiment aim to solve both these issues. These detectors are both relatively cheap to produce and incredibly small (approximately 1 by 2 cm). The detectors take advantage of non-volatile charge storage SONOS (Silicon, Oxide, Nitride, Oxide, Silicon) chips. When a heavy-ion passses through a chip, it depletes the charge stored in the SONOS region it passes through. These bits can then be read out later and this voltage drop can be measured. These detectors were examined to determine their applicability as heavy-ion detectors and to help understand the base idea which could be applied to neutron detectors based on the same SONOS memory chip. These chips were placed into either a 10 AMeV 4He beam or a 15 AMeV 14N beam to test the reliability and sensitivity of these chips for different particle energies. In addition, the devices were tested for various amounts of time to determine if the chips respond to charged particle beams in a predictable way. The results from the first ever heavy-ion beams incident on these detectors will be shown.