Advanced Scintillation Detector for Synchrotron Facilities

Recent developments in synchrotron radiation sources have enabled the growth of powerful techniques, such as time-resolved X-ray diffraction studies for understanding dynamic biological phenomena and the Multi-wavelength Anomalous Dispersion (MAD) method for recovering phase information in X-ray crystallography. To make the most effective use of synchrotron sources, however, new efficient, high-throughput detectors are needed. Although novel detectors based on new charge coupled devices (CCDs) have been developed, the performance of these devices is limited by current X-ray-to-light converters, which have low light conversion efficiency and low X-ray absorption. This project will develop a novel semiconductor scintillator that promises (1) a three-fold increase in emitted light at the wavelength range suitable for most CCDs, (2) high X-ray absorption due to high density as well as high effective atomic number, (3) a fast decay with no afterglow, and (4) a radiation resistance that is orders of magnitude higher than current scintillators. Phase I involved the fabrication of very bright, high-resolution scintillators and the creation of films with a wide variety of thicknesses useful for a range of synchrotron studies in medicine and science. Phase II will focus on technology optimization in the areas of precursor materials development, fabrication of larger-area scintillators, establishment of post-deposition protocols to further improve scintillation yields, and the fabrication and evaluation of a prototype X-ray detector. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Applications for a scintillator with very bright emission, high spatial resolution, high X-ray absorption efficiency, and rapid decay time with no afterglow should range from macromolecular crystallography to medical imaging, and from nondestructive testing to polymer research