Method to improve light extraction from scintillators
View Patent ↗A method to improve light extraction from scintillators in a gamma ray detector, the method including forming a roughened layer on a light-emitting surface of the scintillators, the roughened thin layer having a pillar/column or a corn-shaped structure.
1. A method to improve light extraction from scintillators in a gamma ray detector, the method comprising:
forming a roughened layer on a light-emitting surface of the scintillators, wherein the forming step comprises:
depositing a first thin layer on the light-emitting surface of the scintillators, the first thin layer including a thin film or scattered particles; and
depositing a second thin layer on the first thin layer, the second thin layer having a roughened surface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming step comprises:
forming the roughened layer with a refractive index between 1.7 and 2.1 and an optical transmittance in a wavelength range of the scintillation of the scintillators.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming step comprises:
forming the roughened layer, which is made of Al 2 O 3 , Si x N y , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , ZnS, or ZnO.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the step of depositing the first thin layer comprises depositing the first thin layer at a temperature between 250° C. and 850° C.; and
the step of depositing the second thin layer comprises depositing the second thin layer at a temperature between 250° C. and 850° C.
5. A method to improve light extraction from scintillators in a gamma ray detector, the method comprising:
forming a roughened layer on a light-emitting surface of the scintillators, wherein the forming step comprises:
depositing a first thin layer on the light-emitting surface of the scintillators;
depositing a second thin layer on the first thin layer; and
roughening the second thin layer.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the roughening step comprises:
roughening the second thin layer via a physical process.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the roughening step comprises:
roughening the second thin layer via a chemical process.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of roughening the second thin layer comprises:
chemical etching the second thin layer.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of roughening the second thin layer comprises:
depositing scattered masking particles on the second thin layer; and
performing at least one of a chemical etching or an ion-milling on the second thin layer.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein
the step of depositing the first thin layer comprises depositing the first thin layer at a temperature between 250° C. and 850° C.; and
the step of depositing the second thin layer comprises depositing the second thin layer at a temperature between 250° C. and 850° C.
11. A gamma ray detector, comprising:
an array of scintillators having a roughened layer formed on a light-emitting surface of the scintillators, wherein the roughened layer includes
a first thin layer deposited on the light-emitting surface of the scintillators, the first thin layer including a thin film or scattered particles; and
a second thin layer deposited on the first thin layer, the second thin layer having a roughened surface.
12. The gamma ray detector of claim 11 , wherein the roughened layer is made of material with a refractive index between 1.7 and 2.1 and an optical transmittance in a wavelength range of the scintillation of the scintillators.
13. The gamma ray detector of claim 11 , wherein the roughened layer is made of Al 2 O 3 , Si x N y , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , ZnS, or ZnO.