Title :
Performance and fabrication of thin film NaI(Tl) scintillators for use on imaging photomultiplier tubes
Author :
Shepherd, John A. ; Sobottka, Stanley E. ; Williams, Mark B.
Author_Institution :
Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA, USA
Abstract :
The authors describe the preparation and performance of thin-film NaI(Tl) scintillators using two techniques, standard bulk load evaporation (BLE) in which a single resistance-heated boat contains the total source quantity, and powder flash evaporation (PFE). Using PFE, a film´s characteristics can be easily reproduced, and the relative light yield can be predicted by controlling the substrate temperature, the boat temperature, and the composition of the source. PFE films with homogeneous thallium concentration have been made which surpass the highest light yield measured for two commercially available single-crystal NaI (Tl) scintillators and for BLE films with optimized light yield. The parameters that control the film´s light yield and the predicted detection efficiency of an X-ray detector using these films coupled to an imaging phototube are discussed
Keywords :
evaporation; luminescence of inorganic solids; materials preparation; photoluminescence; scintillation; scintillation counters; sodium compounds; tellurium; thin films; NaI:Tl; X-ray detector; detection efficiency; fabrication; imaging photomultiplier tubes; light yield; performance; powder flash evaporation; preparation; standard bulk load evaporation; thin-film NaI(Tl) scintillators; Boats; Fabrication; Lighting control; Optical coupling; Powders; Substrates; Temperature control; Transistors; X-ray detection; X-ray detectors;
Conference_Titel :
Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, 1992., Conference Record of the 1992 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Orlando, FL
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-0884-0
DOI :
10.1109/NSSMIC.1992.301133
