UC Berkeley

Microchannel plate (MCP) event-counting imaging detectors with very high spatial resolution (~10 µm) and timing accuracy (~100 ps) are widely employed for the detection and imaging applications of electrons and ions, as well as UV and X-ray photons. Recently it was demonstrated that the many advantages of MCPs are also applicable to neutron detection with high 2-dimensional spatial resolution. Boron, enriched in the isotope 10B, was added to the MCP glass structure to enhance the neutron interaction within the MCP through the 10B(n,?)7Li reaction. The energetic charged particle reaction products release secondary electrons directly into MCP channels, initiating an electron avalanche and a subsequent strong output pulse. In this paper we present a detailed model for calculating the quantum detection efficiency of MCP neutron detectors incorporating 10B, for the specific case of square channel MCP geometry. This model predicts that for thermal neutrons (0.025 eV), MCP detection efficiencies of up to 78% are possible using square channels. We also show theoretically that square channel MCPs should have a very sharp (~ 17 mrad) angular drop in sensitivity for detection of normal incidence neutrons, opening up new possibilities for angle-sensitive neutron imaging as well as collimation. The calculations can be used to optimize MCP neutron detection efficiency for a variety of applications. In a subsequent companion paper, the model will be extended to the case of hexagonally-packed circular channels.