Ceramic scintillator body and scintillation device
A scintillation device includes a free-standing ceramic scintillator body that includes a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprising a rare earth element, wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized substantially by a cation-deficient perovskite structure. A method of producing a free-standing ceramic scintillator body includes preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor and an activator (Ac) precursor, obtaining a precipitate from the solution, and calcining the precipitate to obtain a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material including a rare earth hafnate doped with the activator and having a cation-deficient perovskite structure.
1. A method of producing a free-standing ceramic scintillator body, the method comprising:
preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor and an activator (Ac) precursor;
obtaining a precipitate from the solution using a precipitating agent including oxalic acid and ammonium hydroxide;
calcining the precipitate to obtain a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material including a rare earth hafnate doped with the activator and having a cation-deficient perovskite structure that includes hexagonal stacking of layers; and
pressing the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material; and
forming a free standing ceramic scintillator body, wherein the free standing ceramic scintillator body has a density of greater than 98% of theoretical density; and an optical transmittance of greater than 50% total transmission at a thickness that stops greater than 98% of x-ray at a wavelength of maximum emission.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprises a plurality of substantially spherical particles, wherein at least ninety percent of the particles are characterized by a particle size of from approximately 50 nm to approximately 250 nm.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least ninety percent of the particles are characterized by a particle size of from approximately 66 nm to approximately 220 nm.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material includes less than or equal to ten percent (10%) of the activator based on molar percentage.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rare earth element precursor comprises at least one of lutetium chloride (LuCl 3 ) or lutetium nitrate (Lu(NO 3 ) 3 ).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hafnium precursor comprises at least one of hafnium chloride (HfCl 4 ) or hafnium nitrate (Hf(NO 3 ) 4 ).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is represented by a formula (RE) 4 Hf 3 O 12 :Ac.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein pressing comprises die pressing, cold isostatic pressing, and hot isostatic pressing.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein pressing comprises die pressing followed by cold isostatic pressing.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising sintering the pressed scintillating material to form a sintered body.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising hot isostatic pressing the sintered body to form the free standing ceramic scintillator body.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising washing the precipitate with deionized water or ethanol.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising annealing the free standing scintillator body in air.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises at least one of cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, europium, terbium, holmium or ytterbium.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises titanium.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the free standing ceramic scintillator body has a density of greater than or equal to 99.9% of theoretical density.