Structured surface part for radiation capturing devices, method of manufacturing such a part and X-ray detector
In a conventional radiation capturing device, such as an X-ray device or a CT scanner, a structured surface part, e.g. a scintillator array, is used that is manufactured by mechanical processing, e.g. by dicing and grinding. In order to modifying the scintillating properties of a scintillating material, further manufacturing steps, such as high temperature cycling like sintering etc., are performed in order to restore or at least improve the scintillating properties. This application proposes to form a structured surface part with a particle-in-binder structure containing scintillator or other radiation-relevant particles, using additive manufacturing with a photosensitive mixture to form a layer-wise structure. Therefore, subsequent manufacturing steps, such as sintering, can be omitted. The structured surface part is bendable.
1. A structured surface part to be irradiated for a radiation capturing device, comprising:
an arrangement area defining a surface area of the structured surface part;
a plurality of protrusions arranged in the arrangement area, wherein the protrusions comprise a photosensitive material mixture at least containing:
particles having radiation-relevant properties,
a binder, and
a cured photosensitive component different from the binder,
wherein, in a direction pointing away from or perpendicular to the surface area, the photosensitive material mixture of the protrusions comprises a number of layers one above the other, and wherein the structured surface part is bendable.
2. The structured surface part according to claim 1 , wherein bendability of the structured surface part is defined by a combination of a non-polymerizable material and the photosensitive component.
3. The structured surface part according to claim 1 , wherein the particles having radiation-relevant properties comprise at least one scintillating material dispersed in or mixed with at least one of the photosensitive component and the binder.
4. The structured surface part according to claim 3 , wherein a first layer of a protrusion contains a first scintillating material and a second layer of the protrusion contains a second scintillating material.
5. The structured surface part according to claim 1 , wherein a substrate defines at least one of the arrangement area and the surface area of the structured surface part.
6. The structured surface part according to claim 1 , wherein the structured surface part is a scintillator array, wherein the protrusions are individual pixels each having scintillating properties, and wherein the pixels are at least partially covered by a reflector.
7. The structured surface part according to claim 6 , wherein the reflector comprises at least one top reflector layer, arranged on at least an outermost layer of the respective pixel and facing away from the substrate.
8. The structured surface part according to claim 6 , wherein the reflector comprises at least one between-pixels reflector layer, arranged in a gap between two individual pixels.
9. The structured surface part according to claim 6 , wherein the reflector contains reflective particles in an organic binder.
10. The structured surface part according to claim 6 , wherein the reflector is a reflective thin film or reflective sheet.
11. The structured surface part according to claim 6 , wherein the reflector is formed by the substrate that is made from a material having reflecting properties.
12. The structured surface part according to claim 6 , wherein the reflector is bendable.
13. The structured surface part according to claim 1 , wherein the particles containing radiation-relevant properties contain particles that partly or completely absorb X-rays or gamma rays or at least a part of their respective spectrum.
14. An X-Ray detector, comprising:
a structured surface part to be irradiated for a radiation capturing device, comprising:
an arrangement area defining a surface area of the structured surface part;
a plurality of protrusions arranged in the arrangement area, wherein the protrusions comprise a photosensitive material mixture at least containing:
particles having radiation-relevant properties,
a binder, and
a cured photosensitive component different from the binder,
wherein, in a direction pointing away from or perpendicular to the surface area, the photosensitive material mixture of the protrusions comprises a number of layers one above the other, and wherein the structured surface part is bendable; and an optical detector arranged in optical communication with the structured surface part.
15. A method of manufacturing a structured surface part to be irradiated for a radiation capturing device, comprising:
providing a substrate defining a surface area;
providing a photosensitive material mixture at least containing:
particles having radiation-relevant properties,
a binder,
a curable photosensitive component different from the binder; and
layer-wise applying the photosensitive material mixture to the surface area in such a way that protrusions comprising a number of layers one above another are formed,
wherein between the application of the respective layer, by a light source, the photosensitive component is cured,
wherein at least one of the binder and the photosensitive component are remained in the protrusions to be present in use of the structured surface part, and
wherein the structured surface part is provided to be bendable.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting bendability of the structured surface part by combining a non-polymerizable material and the photosensitive component.