Bridgman growth of large SrI2:Eu2+ single crystals: A high-performance scintillator for radiation detection applications

被引：85

作者：

Boatner, L. A. ^{[1
]}

Ramey, J. O. ^{[1
]}

Kolopus, J. A. ^{[1
]}

Hawrami, R. ^{[2
]}

Higgins, W. M. ^{[2
]}

van Loef, E. ^{[2
]}

Glodo, J. ^{[2
]}

Shah, K. S. ^{[2
]}

Rowe, Emmanuel ^{[3
]}

Bhattacharya, Pijush ^{[3
]}

Tupitsyn, Eugene ^{[3
]}

Groza, Michael ^{[3
]}

Burger, Arnold ^{[3
]}

Cherepy, N. J. ^{[4
]}

Payne, S. A. ^{[4
]}

机构：

[1] Oak Ridge Natl Lab, Mat Sci & Technol Div, Ctr Radiat Detect Mat & Syst, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA

[2] Radiat Monitoring Devices Inc, Oak Ridge Natl Lab, Watertown, MA 02472 USA

[3] Fisk Univ, Dept Life & Phys Sci, Nashville, TN 37208 USA

[4] Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab, Livermore, CA 94550 USA

来源：

JOURNAL OF CRYSTAL GROWTH | 2013年 / 379卷

基金：

美国国家科学基金会;

关键词：

Bridgman technique; Growth from melt; Halides; Scintillator materials; SRI2(EU);

D O I：

10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2013.01.035

中图分类号：

O7 [晶体学];

学科分类号：

0702 ; 070205 ; 0703 ; 080501 ;

摘要：

Single-crystal strontium iodide (SrI2) doped with relatively high levels (e.g., 3-6%) of Eu2+ exhibits characteristics that make this material superior, in a number of respects, to other scintillators that are currently used for radiation detection. Specifically, SrI2:Eu2+ has a light yield that is significantly higher than LaBr3:Ce3+-a currently employed commercial high-performance scintillator. Additionally, SrI2:Eu2+ is characterized by an energy resolution as high as 2.6% at the Cs-137 gamma-ray energy of 662 key, and there is no radioactive component in SrI2:Eu2+ unlike LaBr3:Ce3+ that contains La-138. The Ce3+-doped LaBr3 decay time is, however, faster (30 ns) than the 1.2 mu s decay time of SrI2:Eu2+. Due to the relatively low melting point of strontium iodide (similar to 515 degrees C), crystal growth can be carried out in quartz crucibles by the vertical Bridgman technique. Materials-processing and crystal-growth techniques that are specific to the Bridgman growth of europium-doped strontium iodide scintillators are described here. These techniques include the use of a porous quartz frit to physically filter the molten salt from a quartz antechamber into the Bridgman growth crucible and the use of a "bent" or "bulb" grain selector design to suppress multiple grain growth. Single crystals of SrI2:Eu2+ scintillators with good optical quality and scintillation characteristics have been grown in sizes up to 5.0 cm in diameter by applying these techniques. Other aspects of the SrI2:Eu2+ crystal-growth methods and of the still unresolved crystal-growth issues are described here. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

引用

页码：63 / 68

页数：6

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