Design and Development of a New Device for X-ray Imaging

Princeton Electronic Systems proposes the development of a new type of x-ray imager for diagnostic medical imaging for field applications. The device will be easy to fabricate and will have high resolution and image quality and will be available at low cost. A detector array will be fabricated using a new material and simple fabrication technique using only two levels of photolithographic masking. The simplification of the process will make it possible to fabricate the imaging array with nearly 100% yield in almost any fabrication facility without having to invest in massive amounts of capital. A resolution of 640x480 lines will be demonstrated on 4" wafers in the second phase. After the second phase demonstration, large area device processing will be undertaken with 2000x2000 pixel density on a 16x16" substrate. In the Phase I, the device design will be optimized and some of the basic process issues will be resolved. Anticipated Benefits: A practical low cost x-ray diagnostic imager will have widespread application for military field hospitals as well as for all kinds of civilian medical diagnostic needs. A very large number of the imagers can be built and sold to both military and commercial customers. It will have a very significant export market of several hundred million dollars a year and create a large number of jobs.