Rare-earth metal halide scintillators with reduced hygroscopicity and method of making the same
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorsPeter Carl Cohen, A. Andrew Carey, Mark S. Andreaco, Matthias J. Schmand
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Abstract
The present disclosure discloses rare earth metal halide scintillators compositions with reduced hygroscopicity. Compositions in specific implementations include three group of elements: Lanthanides, (La, Ce, Lu, Gd or V), elements in group 17 of the periodic table of elements (CI, Br and I) and elements of group 13 (B, AI, Ga, In, TI), and any combination of these elements. Examples of methods for making the compositions are also disclosed.
Claims20
A material for radiation detection, comprising a scintillator material comprising a halide of
- a rare-earth metal;
- and
- a group-13 element,
- wherein the group-13 element forms covalent bonds with the halogen;
- the halide being
- A′(1−x)B′xCa(1−y)EuyC′3,
- A′(1−x)B′xM′2Br7(1−y)C′7y,
- A′(1−x)B′xM″(1−y)EuyI3,
- A′3(1−x)B′3xM″(1−y)EuyI5,
- A′(1−x)B′xM″2(1−y)Eu2yI5,
- A′(1−x)B′xM′2Cl7,
- M′(1−x)B′xC′3, or
- any combination thereof,
- wherein:
- A′=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or any combination thereof,
- B′=B, Al, Ga, In, Tl or any combination thereof,
- C′=Cl, Br, I or any combination thereof,
- M′ consist of Ce, Sc, Y, La, Lu, Gd, Pr, Tb, Yb, Nd or any combination thereof,
- M″ consists of Sr, Ca, Ba or any combination of thereof,
- where 0<x<1, and where 0<y<1.
A method of making a scintillation material, comprising:
- making a melt by heating a stoichiometric mixture of:
- a rare-earth metal halide, and
- a salt of a group-13 element;
- and
- growing a single crystal from the melt, wherein the rare-earth metal halide and salt of a group-13 element are present in the stoichiometric mixture in a ratio to produce a single crystal of:
- A′(1−x)B′xCa(1−y)EuyC′3,
- A′(1−x)B′xM′2Br7(1−y)C′7y,
- A′(1−x)B′xM″(1−y)EuyI3,
- A′3(1−x)B′3xM″(1−y)EuyI5,
- A′(1−x)B′xM″2(1−y)Eu2yI5,
- A′(1−x)B′xM′2Cl7, or
- any combination thereof,
- wherein:
- A′=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or any combination thereof,
- B′=B, Al, Ga, In, Tl or any combination thereof,
- C′=Cl, Br, I or any combination thereof,
- M′ consist of Ce, Sc, Y, La, Lu, Gd, Pr, Tb, Yb, Nd or any combination thereof,
- M″ consists of Sr, Ca, Ba or any combination of thereof,
- where 0<x<1, and where 0<y<1.
A material for radiation detection, comprising a rare-earth metal halide scintillator compound co-doped with a group-13 element where the group-13 element forms covalent bonds with the halogen of the halide;
- and where the halide is:
- A′(1−x)B′xCa(1−y)EuyC′3,
- A′(1−x)B′xM′2Br7(1−y)C′7y,
- A′(1−x)B′xM″(1−y)EuyI3,
- A′3(1−x)B′3xM″(1−y)EuyI5,
- A′(1−x)B′xM″2(1−y)Eu2yI5,
- A′(1−x)B′xM′2Cl7,
- M′(1−x)B′xC′3, or
- any combination thereof,
- wherein:
- A′=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or any combination thereof,
- B′=B, Al, Ga, In, Tl or any combination thereof,
- C′=Cl, Br, I or any combination thereof,
- M′ consist of Ce, Sc, Y, La, Lu, Gd, Pr, Tb, Yb, Nd or any combination thereof,
- M″ consists of Sr, Ca, Ba or any combination of thereof,
- where 0<x<1, and where 0<y≤1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.