Development of a CdTe thermal neutron detector for neutron imaging

A thin CdTe thermal neutron detector has been developed and its suitability for neutron imaging has been investigated. Simulations of the interaction of neutrons with a 0.5 mm-thick CdTe detector demonstrate the advantages of using 96 keV prompt gamma rays produced by neutron capture in 113Cd as a neutron event. Specifically, they provide a high spatial resolution and approximately the same detection efficiency as 558 keV prompt gamma rays, which are commonly used for detecting thermal neutrons in CdTe detectors. We fabricated a thin CdTe detector. Measurements using a 133Ba gamma-ray source revealed that the detector has a gamma-ray energy resolution of 3 keV at 80 keV, while measurements using a 252Cf neutron source demonstrated that the CdTe detector has good neutron/gamma ray discrimination.