Fabrication of Thin Uranium Dioxide Films for Neutron Flux Measurements

A method for fabricating dense thin films of enriched uranium dioxides has been developed that permits foils that are not affected by self-shielding. The similarity in enrichment between enriched fuel and the foils assured that the measured activities are representative of the fission-producing flux in a reactor. The high density and small size of the films allows the foils to be located accurately within the core and to achieve adequate activation at low power.