Extreme Photon Imaging Capability- Hard X-Ray (EPIC-HXR)

Hard X-rays are the highest-energy X-rays with wavelengths of 0.1 to 0.01nm with an energy range above 5KeV or 10KeV to hundreds of KeV (up to 300KeV for this solicitation). Hard X-rays can penetrate deeper into the matter as compared to Soft X-rays. This advantage of hard X-rays finds applications in Medical radiography, airport baggage screening, Industrial Computed Tomography, Non-destructive testing, Industrial radiography, Hard X-ray Spectroscopy, Cancer treatment are some of the typical applications of hard X-rays. Current State-of-the-art detectors for X-rays use Amorphous Selenium (a-Se), Cesium Iodide (Thallium activated) (CsI-Ti) , Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT), or Amorphous Silicon (a-Si). The current generation of these detectors suffers from Lower Spatial resolution or low stopping power or both. CZT detectors come close to meeting the desired performance, however, they are not capable of being scaled to large size and also suffer from high fabrication costs. Syrnatec, a minority woman owned small businessm, proposes a Cesium Lead Bromide (CsPbBr3) Perovskite hard X-ray imager . These detectors will overcome the existing shortcomings of the current state of the art and will be a large format array (30cm x 30cm). Detectors will be suitable for X-ray energies ranging from 5KeV to 300KeV. The imagers will have a high spatial resolution ( 50% for the suggested operating energy range. X-rays up to 300KeV are utilized in enhanced non-destructive imaging techniques such as medical radiography, airport baggage screening, Non-destructive testing, and Hard X-ray spectroscopy. The current generation of detectors using amorphous selenium, cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) cesium iodide (CsI:Tl) are inferior due to lower spatial resolution, low stopping power, or both. CZT detectors meet few desired performance requirements, have a high fabrication cost, and are not capable of being scaled to large sizes. Syrnatec, a minority woman owned small business, has already synthesized and treated CsPbBr3 crystal show homogenous and void-free films up to 500µm thickness for an existing commercial customer and therefore proposes a 3 mm thick Cesium Lead Bromide (CsPbBr3) Perovskite hard X-ray imager modified with a special ligand to reduce thickness and suppress ion mobility. These detectors will far exceed performance of the current state of the art and will be a large format array (Greater than 30cm x 30cm) with a low cost of fabrication (Under $100). Detectors will support X-ray energies ranging from 5KeV to 300KeV. The imagers will have a high spatial resolution ( 50%. This Phase I effort, Syrnatec will deliver prototype absorber material that results from a feasibility study to characterize Perovskite crystal structure and establish its integrated readout electronics strategy.