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85748 Garching

NDP

Neutron Depth Profiling

This instrument is focussed on cold neutrons. All parameters given here are valid during the current operation of FRM II. Please get in touch with the instrument team well in advance for all further details (length of experiment etc.).

NDP NDP NDP for analysis of the ion transport in batteries

NDP for analysis of the ion transport in batteries

Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP) is a nuclear analytical method based on the determination of the energy loss of charged particles in matter. This loss is dependent on the thicknesses and the densities of the layers between the place of emission and the detector. The new setup at the PGAA facility enables a non-destructive quantitative analysis based on the maximum energies of the spectral shapes, and also a reconstruction of the depth profiles based on the energy losses. The method is very sensitive to certain light elements/ nuclides (3He, 6Li, 10B or 14N) with detection limits down to the ppba range. The depth resolution can be as good as 5 nm, but it is highly matrix dependent. One of the most important application of NDP is battery research (lithium-ion-batteries). An NDP measurement is also possible in operando during the charge cycles of batteries.

NDP in a nutshell
  • Non-destructive depth profiling
  • Detection of the following stable nuclides: 3He, 6Li, 10B, 14N, 17O, 33S, 35Cl
  • Detection of radionuclides: 7Be, 22Na, 37Ar, 40K, 59Ni, 210Po
  • Depth profiling possible in almost any material matrix
  • Depths up to <50 µm accessible (material dependent)
  • Depth resolutions up to 5 nm possible (material dependent)
Typical Applications
  • Manufacture quality control
    • Surface analysis of boron in Borofloat glasses (neutron-guide material)
    • Boron implantation profiling in silicon substrates
    • 3He implantation profiling in silicon substrates
  • Fundamental nuclear physics
  • Materials science and engineering
    • Boron profiling in Co-Re-based superalloys for next-generation gas turbines
    • Determination of composition and homogeneity of lithium-containing single crystals
  • Energy systems
    • Lithium immobilization profiling in electrodes for lithium-ion batteries
    • In operando tracking of lithium reversibly incorporated in electrodes during dis-/charging
    • Lithium-/sodium-based electrodes for future battery systems beyond lithium-ion batteries
    • Lithium-based systems for organic light emitting devices (OLEDs)
  • Healthcare
    • Tracking of lithium accumulation in the human brain (depression research)
Technical Data
Neutron beam
  • For bigger samples with collimation:
    • Beam size: 20 × 30 mm2
    • Neutron beam flux: ~ 108 n cm-2 s-1
  • For smaller samples with 1.1 m elliptical neutron guide:
    • Beam size: 11 × 16 mm2
    • Neutron beam flux: ~ 3 · 109 n cm-2 s-1
Measuring conditions
  • Areal sample size max. 150 × 150 mm, sample sizes larger than 10 × 10 mm favourable.
  • Preparation: The thickness of samples has to be reduced as much as possible in order to minimise the background signal.

Instrument scientists

Dr. Zsolt Revay
Phone: +49 (0)89 289-12694
E-Mail: zsolt.revay@frm2.tum.de

Dr. Christian Stieghorst
Phone: +49 (0)89 289-54871
E-Mail: christian.stieghorst@frm2.tum.de

Operated by

TUM

Funding

Publications

M. Trunk, M. Wetjen, L. Werner, R. Gernhäuser, B. Märkisch, Zs. Revay, H. Gasteiger, R. Gilles, Materials Science Applications of Neutron Depth Profiling at the PGAA facility of Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum. (2018). Materials Characterization, 146, 127-134, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2018.09.030

M. Wetjen, M. Trunk, L. Werner, R. Gernhäuser, B. Märkisch, Zs. Revay, R. Gilles, H. Gasteiger, Quantifying the Distribution of Electrolyte Decomposition Products in Silicon-Graphite Electrodes by Neutron Depth Profiling. (2018). Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 165, 10, A2340-A2348 , http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.1341810jes

M. Wetjen, M. Trunk, L. Werner, R. Gernhäuser, B. Märkisch, Zs. Revay, R. Gilles, H. Gasteiger, Monitoring the Lithium Concentration across the Thickness of Silicon-Graphite Electrodes during the first (De-)Lithiation. (2019). Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 166, 8, A1408-A1411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.0581908jes

Citation of the instrument

L. Werner, M. Trunk, R. Gernhäuser, R. Gilles, B. Märkisch, Zs. Revay, The new Neutron Depth Profiling Instrument N4DP at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum. (2018). Nucl Instr Meth A 911, 30-36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.09.113

Related News


MLZ is a cooperation between:

Technische Universität München> Technische Universität MünchenHelmholtz-Zentrum Hereon> Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
Forschungszentrum Jülich> Forschungszentrum Jülich

MLZ is a member of:

LENS> LENSERF-AISBL> ERF-AISBL

MLZ on social media: