PULSE-SHAPE DISCRIMINATION IN NEUTRON DEPTH PROFILING TECHNIQUE

Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) is used for the first time for reduct ion of unwanted background in analyses of solid surfaces by neutron de pth profiling method (NDP) based on the detection of charged particles from the (n, p) and (n, or) nuclear reactions induced by thermal neut rons on some light elements. The experimental PSD arrangement is descr ibed and its performance is demonstrated on the measurement of real sa mple. Background reduction by about two orders of magnitude in the ene rgy region below 1 MeV leads to sensitivity improvement by about one o rder of magnitude and to extension of measurable depth region for some of light elements like N and Cl. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.