Li-6-Enriched Lif Films Grown By Thermal Evaporation For Neutron Detection

The new generation of neutron detectors based on (LiF)-Li-6 thin films has been widely investigated in the last decades. The structure of polycristalline thin films has a significant impact upon their performance in neutron detectors, however the relationship between the physical properties of LiF-based thin films and their performance is still far from being completely understood. A systematic investigation of the role played by the growth conditions on the optical and morphological properties of thermally evaporated (LiF)-Li-6 thin films has been carried out by combining spectrophotometry, stylus profilometry and atomic force microscopy. A clear picture of the influence of film thickness and deposition temperature on transparency, porosity, roughness and grain size of polycristalline (LiF)-Li-6 thin films thermally evaporated on amorphous substrates has been obtained.