Method of enhancing performance of doped scintillation crystals
AssigneeCrystal Photonics, Incorporated
InventorsBruce H. T. Chai, David Y. Chai, Randall A. Lux
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Abstract
A method for enhancing the light yield of a doped scintillation crystal may include a reducing step if the crystal includes a dopant, such as cerium in a first oxidation state, such as the 4+ state. The scintillation crystal may include a rare earth silicate. The reducing may include heating in an oxygen-free ambient. The reducing may be used after an oxygen vacancy filling step that causes at least some of the dopant to increase in its oxidation state.
Claims24
A method of treating a doped scintillation crystal comprising a dopant in a first oxidation state, the method comprising:
- reducing at least some of the dopant from the first oxidation state to a second oxidation state lower than the first oxidation state.
A method of enhancing performance of a doped scintillation crystal comprising a rare earth silicate doped with cerium in a 4+ oxidation state, the method comprising:
- thermally reducing at least some of the cerium from the 4+ oxidization state to a 3+ oxidation state.
A method of enhancing performance of a doped scintillation crystal comprising a doped rare earth silicate having oxygen vacancies therein, the method comprising:
- adding oxygen to fill at least some of the oxygen vacancies and having an effect of oxidizing the dopant to a first oxidation state;
- and
- reducing at least some of the dopant from the first oxidation state to a second oxidation state lower than the first oxidation state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.