Thallium bromide photodetectors for scintillation detection

A wide bandgap compound semiconductor, TlBr, has been investigated as a blue sensitive photodetector material for scintillation detection. The TlBr photodetectors have been fabricated from the TlBr crystals grown by the TMZ method using materials purified by many pass zone refining. The performance of the photodetectors has been evaluated by measuring their leakage current, quantum efficiency, spatial uniformity, direct X-ray detection and scintillation detection characteristics. The photodetectors have shown high quantum efficiency for the blue wavelength region and high spatial uniformity for their optical response. In addition, good direct X-ray detection characteristics with an energy resolution of 4.5 keV FWHM for 22 keV X-rays from a 109Cd radioactive source have been obtained. Detection of blue scintillation from GSO and LSO scintillators irradiated with a 22Na radioactive source has been done successfully by using the photodetectors at room temperature. A clear full-energy peak for 511 keV γ-rays has been obtained with the TlBr photodetector coupled to the LSO scintillator with an energy resolution of 40% FWHM.