Scintillator optical system and method of manufacture
A scintillated CCD detector system for imaging x rays uses x-rays having a photon energy in the range of 1 to 20 keV. The detector differs from existing systems in that it provides extremely high resolution of better than a micrometer, and high detection quantum efficiency of up to 95%. The design of this detector also allows it to function as an energy filter to remove high-energy x-rays. This detector is useful in a wide range of applications including x-ray imaging, spectroscopy, and diffraction. The scintillator optical system has scintillator material with a lens system for collecting the light that is generated in the scintillator material. A substrate is used for spacing the scintillator material from the lens system.
1. A scintillator optical system comprising:
scintillator material;
a lens system for collecting light generated in the scintillator material, wherein the lens system comprises an objective lens and a tube lens; and
a substrate for spacing the scintillator material from the lens system.
2. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material is crystalline.
3. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material is thallium doped CsI or LSO.
4. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material is less than 50 micrometers thick.
5. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material is bonded to the substrate.
6. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the objective lens has a focal point set at infinity.
7. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate thickness is set based on a working distance of the lens system.
8. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , the scintillator material having a thickness in direction of an optical axis selected to function as a low pass filter of the X-rays by only converting lower energy X-rays to the light.
9. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the scintillator material is crystalline.
10. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the scintillator material is thallium doped CsI or LSO.
11. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the scintillator material is less than 50 micrometers thick.
12. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the scintillator material is bonded to a substrate.
13. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , the scintillator material being doped to a depth in a direction of an optical axis selected to function as a low pass filter of the X-rays by only converting lower energy X-rays to the light.
14. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the scintillator material is crystalline.
15. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the scintillator material is thallium doped CsI or LSO.
16. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the scintillator material is less than 50 micrometers thick.
17. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an x ray source for irradiating a sample and a zone plate for collecting the x rays from the sample and focusing the x rays onto the scintillator material.
18. A scintillator optical system, comprising:
scintillator material;
a lens system for collecting light generated in the scintillator material; and
a substrate for spacing the scintillator material from the lens system, wherein the substrate thickness is set based on a working distance of the lens system.
19. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising an x ray source for irradiating a sample and a zone plate for collecting the x rays from the sample and focusing the x rays onto the scintillator material.
20. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the scintillator material is crystalline.
21. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the scintillator material is thallium doped CsI or LSO.
22. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the scintillator material is less than 50 micrometers thick.
23. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the scintillator material is bonded to the substrate.
24. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the lens system comprises an objective lens and a tube lens.
25. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the objective lens has a focal point set at infinity.
26. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , the scintillator material having a thickness in direction of an optical axis selected to function as a low pass filter of the X-rays by only converting lower energy X-rays to the light.
27. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the scintillator material is crystalline.
28. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the scintillator material is thallium doped CsI or LSO.
29. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the scintillator material is less than 50 micrometers thick.
30. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the scintillator material is bonded to the substrate.
31. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 18 , the scintillator material being doped to a depth in a direction of an optical axis selected to function as a low pass filter of the X-rays by only converting lower energy X-rays to the light.
32. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the scintillator material is crystalline.
33. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the scintillator material is thallium doped CsI or LSO.
34. A scintillator optical system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the scintillator material is less than 50 micrometers thick.