Scintillator using semiconductor quantum dots, manufacturing method thereof, and digital image diagnostic system employing the same

A digital image diagnostic system, comprising:

• an X-ray tube configured to generate an X-ray;
• a scintillator configured to convert the X-ray generated by the X-ray tube into visible light;
• a photodiode configured to convert the visible light from the scintillator into an electrical signal;
• a controller configured to generate a diagnostic image by using the electrical signal output by the photodiode;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the diagnostic image generated by the controller,
• wherein the scintillator comprises:
• a metallic reflection film made of a metal, the metallic reflection film being transmissive to an X-ray and reflective to a visible light, the metallic reflection film comprising a plurality of voids formed in a thickness direction;
• a polymer film comprising a plurality of columnar structures formed inside the plurality of voids of the metallic reflection film;
• and
• semiconductor quantum dots dispersed in the plurality of columnar structures of the polymer film, the semiconductor quantum dots being configured to convert the X-ray into the visible light and having a decay time of tens of nanoseconds.

A method of manufacturing a scintillator, comprising:

• forming a metallic reflection film made of a metal, the metallic reflection film being transmissive to an X-ray and reflective to a visible light, the metallic reflection film comprising a plurality of voids formed in a thickness direction, and
• forming an auxiliary metallic reflection film made of the metal to block one end of the metallic reflection film corresponding to a direction in which the X-ray is incident so as to guide a travelling direction of the visible light after reflections inside the plurality of voids;
• and
• forming a polymer film having a plurality of columnar structures formed inside the plurality of voids of the metallic reflection film by immersing the metallic reflection film into a polymer liquid in which semiconductor quantum dots having a decay time of tens of nanoseconds are dispersed or by pouring the polymer liquid on the metallic reflection film such that the semiconductor quantum dots are dispersed inside the plurality of columnar structures.