Composite nanophosphor screen for detecting radiation
AssigneeNanocrystals Technology L.P.
InventorRameshwar Nath Bhargava
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Abstract
A composite phosphor screen for converting radiation, such as X-rays, into visible light. The screen includes a planar surface, which can be formed from glass, silicon or metal, which has etched therein a multiplicity of closely spaced nanochannels having diameters of the order of 5 microns or less. Deposited within each of the nanochannels is a multiplicity of nanocrystalline phosphors, having diameters of less than 100 nanometers and preferably less than 10 nanometers, which emit light when acted upon by radiation. The walls of the nanochannels are arranged to reflect the light emitted by the nanophoshors down the nanochannels to suitable light collecting device such as film or an electronic device. This minimizes light scattering and increases light collection efficiency.
Claims19
A composite phosphor screen for the conversion of radiation impinging thereon to visible light, comprising:
- a) a substrate having a planar surface;
- b) a multiplicity of nanochannels extending into the surface of the substrate, said nanochannels having a diameter of less than 5 microns,
- c) a multiplicity of nanocrystalline phosphors having diameters of less than 100 nanometers disposed in each of said nanochannels, said nanocrystalline phosphors emitting visible light when exposed to radiation, and
- d) said nanochannels being arranged so as to optically guide the light emitted by said nanocrystalline phosphors along said nanochannels.
A method for producing a composite phosphor screen for converting radiation into visible radiation, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a substrate having at least one planar surface;
- b) etching a multiplicity of nanochannels in the planar surface in the substrate, said nanochannels having diameters of less than 5 microns;
- and
- c) depositing a multiplicity of nanocrystalline phosphors in each of said nanochannels, said nanocrystalline phosphors having diameters of less than 100 nanometers.
A composite phosphor screen for high resolution medical imaging applications for the conversion of X-ray radiation impinging thereon to visible light, comprising:
- a) a substrate having a planar surface;
- b) a multiplicity of nanochannels extending into the surface of the substrate, said nanochannels having a diameter from 0.05 to 5 microns,
- c) a multiplicity of nanocrystalline phosphors having diameters of less than 100 nanometers disposed in each of said nanochannels, said nanocrystalline phosphors emitting visible light when exposed to X-ray radiation, and
- d) said nanochannels being arranged so as to optically guide the light emitted by said nanocrystalline phosphors along said nanochannels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.