Advancement of light-element neutron depth profiling at the University of Texas

Abstract

The University of Texas (UT) at Austin has collaborated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology for comparisons of concentration versus depth profiles of samples containing ¹⁰B. Technology sharing from NIST has allowed UT to avoid many initial set backs such that significant advancements in the UT-NDP facility’s experimental and analytical methodology have been achieved. UT has analyzed two samples loaned to them from NIST. The collaborative effort between the two institutions has given the UT-NDP facility the proper tools to begin profiling more advanced samples in hopes of meeting the capabilities set by NIST in the NDP field. The UT-NDP facility was able to profile a borosilicate surface deposit onto silicon such that the concentrations of ¹⁰B at various depths of the deposit were determined and fit well to a Pearson distribution.