Fabrication of High-Resolution ${\hbox {Lu}}_{2}{\hbox {O}}_{3}{:}{\hbox {Eu}}$ X-Ray Scintillator by Physical Vapor Deposition

A new structured scintillator was developed that will stop significantly more of the incident X-rays without sacrificing spatial resolution. We have recently demonstrated that it is possible to deposit Lu₂O₃:Eu in a microcolumnar form using electron beam (e-beam) physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) technique. This new structured Lu₂O₃:Eu scintillator can have a huge impact on X-ray imaging applications including medical imaging, nondestructive testing and hard X-ray microtomography (XMT). Thin film fabrication of Lu₂O₃ doped with 5% europium was carried out by means of EBPVD. Uniform and stoichiometrically balanced films several microns thick were grown on various kinds of substrates. Their morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scintillation decay, afterglow, spatial resolution and light conversion efficiency were analyzed. A selected set of films was integrated into position-sensitive detection systems to determine their efficacy for synchrotron and laboratory X-ray source-based high-resolution microtomography.