Design of a prototype microchannel plate detector with cooled amorphous silicon array readout for neutron radiography

High-performance large-area imaging detectors for fast neutrons in the 5-14 MeV energy range do not exist at present. The aim of this project is to combine microchannel plates or MCPs (or similar electron multiplication structures) traditionally used in image intensifiers and X-ray detectors with amorphous silicon pixel arrays to produce a composite converter and intensifier position-sensitive imaging system. This detector will provide an order of magnitude improvement in image resolution when compared with current millimetre resolution limits obtained using phosphor- or scintillator-based hydrogen-rich converters. In this study the detection of fast neutrons is based on neutron capture in silicon rather than proton recoil in hydrogen-rich converters. This will reduce the effect that light spreading has on image resolution when using conventional phosphor-based converters. The threshold in the silicon capture cross-section will reduce the effect of neutron scatter on the detectability of small features in fast neutron radiographs. In this study we highlight the prototype detector design, present its main advantages and the current status of the detector build phase.