Pixelated scintillator

A radiation detector, comprising:

• a pixelated scintillator being manufactured by:
• irradiating, with first laser radiation, a plurality of first regions of a substrate according to a predefined geometry of the pixelated scintillator to cause a structural modification of a material in the plurality of first regions of the substrate such that once the substrate is subjected to etching, the etching occurs at a higher rate at the plurality of irradiated first regions than at a non-irradiated region;
• performing the etching to form a plurality of first openings in the substrate, the first openings having the predefined geometry of the pixelated scintillator;
• and
• filling the plurality of first openings with at least one scintillator material to form the pixelated scintillator;
• and
• a pixelated and photosensitive read-out sensor.

A manufacturing system for manufacturing a pixelated scintillator, the system comprising:

• an optical laser system;
• an etching system;
• a material deposition system ;
• ;
• and
• a control system comprising one or more controllers,
• wherein the control system is configured to control the optical laser system to irradiate, with first laser radiation, a plurality of first regions of a substrate according to a predefined geometry of the pixelated scintillator to cause a structural modification of a material in the plurality of first regions of the substrate such that once the substrate is subjected to etching, the etching occurs at a higher rate at the plurality of irradiated first regions than at a non-irradiated region,
• wherein the control system is configured to control the etching system to perform the etching to form a plurality of first openings in the substrate, the first openings having the predefined geometry of the pixelated scintillator, and
• wherein the control system is configured to control the material depositing system to fill the plurality of first openings with at least one scintillator material to form the scintillator elements of the pixelated scintillator.