Grating-based phase contrast imaging

A phase contrast imaging system, comprising:

• an X-ray source for emitting a beam of X-rays centered around an optical axis of the imaging system;
• an X-ray detector comprising:
• a scintillation device comprising a wafer substrate having a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other, wherein each of the grooves extends to a depth along a first direction from a first side of the scintillation device into the wafer substrate, each of the grooves being at least partially filled with a scintillation material;
• and
• a photodetector with a plurality of photosensitive pixels optically coupled to the scintillation device, wherein a primary axis of the X-ray detector is substantially parallel to a surface normal vector of the scintillation device, wherein the first direction of at least a part of the plurality of grooves is different from the primary axis, such that at least a part of the plurality of grooves is tilted with respect to the primary axis, and wherein an angle between the first direction of a groove arranged in a center region of the scintillation device and the primary axis is smaller than an angle between the first direction of a groove arranged in an outer region of the scintillation device and the primary axis;
• and
• at least one grating arranged between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector, wherein the primary axis of the X-ray detector is substantially parallel to the optical axis of the imaging system.

A method of fabricating an X-ray detector, the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of grooves into a wafer substrate of a scintillation device, such that the grooves are spaced apart from each other and such that each of the grooves extends to a depth along a first direction from a surface of the wafer substrate into the wafer substrate;
• at least partially filling each of the grooves with scintillation material;
• and
• arranging the wafer substrate with the at least partially filled grooves on a photodetector;
• wherein the X-ray detector comprises a primary axis parallel to a surface normal vector of the wafer substrate;
• wherein the first direction of at least a part of the plurality of grooves is different from the primary axis, such that at least a part of the plurality of grooves is tilted with respect to the primary axis, and
• wherein an angle between the first direction of a groove arranged in a center region of the scintillation device and the primary axis is smaller than an angle between the first direction of a groove arranged in an outer region of the scintillation device and the primary axis.