Neutron irradiation studies with detector grade CVD diamond

Detector grade CVD diamond samples have been irradiated with neutrons from a spallation source with an average energy of 5 MeV up to fluences of 6.5 x 10(15) n cm(-2). After each irradiation stage the samples were characteris ed in terms of their charge collection efficiency, priming ratio and primin g dose. It was found that the charge collection efficiency degrades with in creasing neutron fluence for all investigated samples. The sensitivity to n eutron radiation is found to be strongly sample-dependent. The experimental data can be well described by a simple damage model. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.