High efficiency hexagonal boron nitride neutron detectors with 1 cm2 detection areas

We report the realization of 1 cm2 hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) thermal neutron detectors with an unprecedented detection efficiency of 59%. This was achieved through improvements in material quality, as reflected in a sixfold enhancement in the electron mobility and lifetime product and a threefold reduction in the surface recombination field, which resulted in a higher detection efficiency at a lower applied electric field over that of a previous state-of-the-art lateral detector with a detection area of 30 mm2. The attainment of 1 cm2 h-BN neutron detectors capable of retaining a high detection efficiency represents a significant milestone toward the practical applications of h-BN detectors.