# US 9,082,907 B2 · Neutron detection and collimation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,082,907 B2 - Document ID: US9082907B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/894,211 - Filed: 2013-05-14 - Published: 2014-10-09 - Granted: 2015-07-14 - Earliest claimed: 2008-11-19 - Assignees: Nova Scientific, Inc. - Applicants: Nova Scientific, Inc. - Inventors: W. Bruce Feller; Paul L. White; William J. S. Zhong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9082907B2 ## CPC - H10F 77/12: Active materials - G01T 1/00: Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation (G01T3/00, G01T5/00 take precedence) - G01T 3/00: Measuring neutron radiation (G01T5/00 takes precedence) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) ## Abstract A device includes a neutron-sensitive composition. The composition includes, in weight percent, a non-zero amount of aluminum oxide (e.g., approximately 1% to approximately 3.5% aluminum oxide), greater than 12% (e.g., approximately 12% to approximately 17%) boron oxide, greater than approximately 60% silicon oxide (e.g., approximately 62% to approximately 68% silicon oxide), and a non-zero amount of sodium oxide (e.g., approximately 10% to approximately 14% sodium oxide). The device is capable of interacting with neutrons to form an electron cascade. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a neutron detector comprising an electron multiplier in the form of a microchannel plate that comprises a neutron-sensitive composition comprising, in weight percent, a non-zero amount of aluminum oxide, approximately 12% to approximately 17% boron oxide, greater than approximately 60% silicon oxide, and a non-zero amount of sodium oxide, wherein the neutron-sensitive composition forms the bulk structure of the microchannel plate, the bulk structure defining a plurality of channels, and wherein the device is capable of interacting with neutrons to form an electron cascade. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the boron oxide comprises substantially boron-10 enriched boron oxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of calcium oxide less than approximately 4 weight percent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of magnesium oxide less than approximately 3 weight percent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of arsenic oxide or antimony oxide less than approximately 0.5 weight percent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of lithium oxide less than approximately 2 weight percent. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the composition is substantially free of lead. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the composition consists essentially of, in weight percent, approximately 1% to approximately 3.5% aluminum oxide, approximately 12% to approximately 17% boron oxide, approximately 62% to approximately 68% silicon oxide, approximately 10% to approximately 14% sodium oxide, approximately 0% to approximately 4% calcium oxide, approximately 0% to approximately 3% magnesium oxide, approximately 0% to approximately 0.5% antimony oxide or arsenic oxide, and approximately 0% to approximately 2% lithium oxide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the boron oxide is substantially boron-10 enriched boron oxide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the channels comprise a conducting and electron emissive surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 in which the device is configured to detect the electron cascades in the channels to construct an image. ### Claim 12 A device, comprising: a neutron detector comprising an electron multiplier in the form of a microchannel plate that comprises an input electrode, a glass plate, and an output electrode, the glass plate comprising a neutron-sensitive composition comprising, in weight percent, a non-zero amount of aluminum oxide, approximately 12% to approximately 17% boron oxide, greater than approximately 60% silicon oxide, and a non-zero amount of sodium oxide, wherein the neutron-sensitive composition forms the bulk structure of the glass plate, the bulk structure defining a plurality of microscopic channels, and wherein the device is capable of interacting with neutrons to form electron cascades in the microscopic channels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the boron oxide comprises substantially boron-10 enriched boron oxide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of calcium oxide less than approximately 4 weight percent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of magnesium oxide less than approximately 3 weight percent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the composition further comprises a non-zero amount of lithium oxide less than approximately 2 weight percent. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the composition is substantially free of lead. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the channels comprise a conducting and electron emissive surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 in which the composition consists essentially of, in weight percent, approximately 1% to approximately 3.5% aluminum oxide, approximately 12% to approximately 17% boron oxide, approximately 62% to approximately 68% silicon oxide, approximately 10% to approximately 14% sodium oxide, approximately 0% to approximately 4% calcium oxide, approximately 0% to approximately 3% magnesium oxide, approximately 0% to approximately 0.5% antimony oxide or arsenic oxide, and approximately 0% to approximately 2% lithium oxide. ### Claim 20 An apparatus, comprising: a neutron detector comprising: a microchannel plate that comprises a neutron-sensitive composition comprising, in weight percent, a non-zero amount of aluminum oxide, approximately 12% to approximately 17% boron oxide, greater than approximately 60% silicon oxide, and a non-zero amount of sodium oxide, wherein the neutron-sensitive composition forms the bulk structure of the microchannel plate, the bulk structure defining a plurality of channels, and wherein the microchannel plate is capable of interacting with neutrons to form electron cascades in the channels; and means for applying a DC bias voltage across the channels in the microchannel plate.