The Processing of Enriched Germanium for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR and R&D for a Possible Future Ton-Scale Ge-76 Double-Beta Decay Experiment

Understand

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in Ge-76 to search for neutrinoless double beta decay.

• The processing of Ge for germanium detectors is a well-known technology.
• However, because of the high cost of Ge enriched in Ge-76, special procedures were required to maximize the yield of detector mass and to minimize exposure to cosmic rays.
• These procedures include careful accounting for the material; shielding it to reduce cosmogenic generation of radioactive isotopes; and development of special reprocessing techniques for contaminated solid germanium, shavings, grindings, acid etchant and cutting fluids from detector fabrication.