The application of a SRAM chip as a novel neutron detector

High-density, fast digital devices, like field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microcontrollers, and static random access memories (SRAMs), can be produced by nanotechnology. New technologies allow the design of fast and powerful devices; however, the decreasing dimensions create new problems. Even at ground level, cosmic ray particles arriving from outer space can affect digital devices and provoke single-event effects (SEEs) due to the smaller sensitive volume (SV). In general, for decreasing feature size of memory cells the expected critical charge decreases and the expected sensitivity to radiation increases.

High-density SRAM chips were used to design a fast response, highly sensitive neutron detector. We have conducted experiments with SRAMs at the DESY Research Centre in Hamburg, Germany. Memory contents (number of SEU) were recorded as a function of neutron expose time. The chips were exposed to a neutron field from an americium-beryllium neutron source (²⁴¹AmBe). The second experiment was accomplished in the 450?MeV electron Linac (Linac II) tunnel. Another batch of SRAMs was irradiated with ⁶⁰Co gamma rays to a dose of about 60?Gy, and no SEU was registered. This shows that gamma radiation has no substantial effect on the production of SEU in the SRAM. The proposed detector could be ideal for the detection of pulsed neutron radiation produced by high-energy electron linear accelerators and synchrotron facilities, which are currently in operation and planned for the near future.