Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A thin-film target for DT neutron production, comprising:an iron substrate having a high D permeability,a tungsten permeation barrier layer having a low D permeability on the iron substrate to inhibit D permeation from the iron substrate therethrough, anda front-surface tritide layer on the tungsten permeation barrier layer that reacts with an incident D beam to produce DT neutrons,wherein the combined thickness of the tritide layer and the tungsten permeation barrier layer is less than the range of an incident D beam having an energy. 2. The thin-film target of claim 1, wherein the combined thickness of the tritide layer and the tungsten permeation barrier layer if less than 50% of the range of the incident D beam. 3. The thin-film target of claim 2, wherein the combined thickness is less than approximately 10% of the range of the incident D beam. 4. The thin-film target of claim 1, wherein the tritide comprises a metal tritide. 5. The thin-film target of claim 4, wherein the metal tritide comprises titanium tritide.