Invention:
This invention is a solid-state radiation sensing platform based on graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistor devices for neutron detection and radiation monitoring. The technology detects radiation-induced changes through electronic readout, allowing both real-time monitoring and cumulative dose measurement in a compact, microelectronic format. Its small size and chip-level design make it more suitable for integration into electronic systems than many conventional detector approaches. The bottom-up synthesized graphene nanoribbon platform has better structural control and allows for more flexibility in tuning the material. The active sensing region can be chemically modified or combined with other low-dimensional materials to tune sensitivity for specific radiation types and energy ranges. This supports use in advanced energy systems, space technologies, and security settings, while also enabling distributed sensing and onboard monitoring within electronic subsystems.
Background:
Radiation detection is needed in energy, aerospace, defense, and security applications, where systems may be exposed to damaging radiation over time. Current detector technologies, including gas-based fission chambers, scintillator systems, and diamond detectors, can face limits related to size, cost, manufacturing complexity, or integration into compact electronic platforms. This invention addresses those limits by introducing a nanoelectronic detector platform that combines small size, tunable design, and compatibility with established microelectronic architectures. Supporting work shows that graphene nanoribbon transistor devices produce strong electrical responses to radiation exposure, supporting their use as sensitive integrated sensors in demanding environments.
Applications:
- Solid-state neutron detection
- Radiation monitoring in fusion and fission energy systems
- Space and aerospace electronics monitoring
- Security and defense sensing systems
- Onboard radiation dose monitoring
- Distributed radiation sensor networks
Advantages:
- Small, solid-state detector format
- Real-time and cumulative dose measurement
- Compatible with microelectronic device architectures
- Potential for direct integration into electronic subsystems
- Bottom-up synthesis for better structural control
- Tunable sensitivity through chemical and structural modification
- Supports distributed sensing across surfaces and volumes
- Potentially lower cost than some conventional detector platforms
