Development of fluoride materials for neutron detection

We have studied various lithium containing fluoride materials as neutron scintillators for the last 15 years. Fluoride scintillator samples were prepared by melt growth techniques and their scintillation properties were investigated under thermal neutron irradiation. Developed fluoride scintillators show non-hygroscopicities and full-absorption peaks in the pulse height spectra under thermal neutron irradiation. The highest light yield among the samples was approximately 40000 photons/neutron. Several fluoride materials can be used as a non-hygroscopic neutron scintillators.