Second Round Results from Testing the Importance of Radiation Detectors

Recently, it has been proposed that SONOS (Silicon Oxide Nitrogen Oxide Silicon) chips, which are generally commercially available, might have the potential to be used for radiation detection. If true, these devices may have relevance to various applications, including dosimeters, satellites, and military checkpoints, where such detection systems are necessary. When a heavy ion passes through one of these chips, the voltage across certain sites within that chip changes and can be measured. By systematically investigating this voltage change an enhanced understanding of the behavior of these chips can be achieved. An experiment was run where a ⁷⁸Kr beam of energies 40 and 36 MeV/u was directly applied to the chips and the voltage before and after exposure were compared. These results will be shown in comparison with previously acquired data using ⁴He and ¹⁴N beams. Other systematic behaviors of these chips will also be demonstrated.