Thermal diffusion of mixed valence Ce in 6Li loaded silicate glass for neutron imaging

The creation and characterization of Ce doped surface regions in 6Li enriched silicate glasses for cold neutron detection is described. A diffusion layer of a dried solution containing cerium III acetylacetonate hydrate was thermally diffused into monolithic glass samples under a reducing atmosphere. The diffusion characteristics of the mixed valence cerium compound were assayed with Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. The Ce diffusion activation energy within the glass was found to be 411 ± 53 kJ/mol (4.26 ± 0.55 eV). Radiation induced color centers formed on the diffusion samples as an effect of using alpha bombardment measurements. The ratio of Ce valence states of the diffused cerium was assayed as a function of depth with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and the signal from Ce for the color centers was compared to the unirradiated sample surface.