Granted Patent B1

US 12,625,284 · App. 18/678,502 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Melinda Dominique Sweany (Oakland, CA); Kyle James Weinfurther (Livermore, CA); Patrick L. Feng (Livermore, CA); Peter Anthony Marleau (Dublin, CA)

Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

G01T1/20187G01T1/20184G01T1/20188H10W90/00

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . A scintillator having a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) embedded therein, comprising;

an organic glass scintillator (OGS) material having a glass transition temperature above which the OGS material exhibits supercooled liquid characteristics and below which the OGS material is in an amorphous solid state; and

an SiPM having a lead coupled thereto and having a temperature tolerance greater than the glass transition temperature of the OGS material;

wherein the SiPM is positioned in the OGS material while the OGS material is above the glass transition temperature, and wherein the OGS material is cooled to the amorphous solid state below the glass transition temperature with the SiPM embedded therein.

2 . The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the SiPM and the amorphous OGS material are placed in a removable mold, where the amorphous OGS material is cooled to the amorphous solid state in the removable mold.

3 . The scintillator of claim 2 , wherein the SiPM is positioned in the mold prior to filling the mold with the OGS material.

4 . The scintillator of claim 2 , wherein the SiPM is positioned in the mold after filling the mold with the OGS material.

5 . The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the OGS material is printed by a 3D printer, and wherein printing is paused for insertion of the SiPM and resumed after insertion of the SiPM.

6 . The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the SiPM is positioned at least one attenuation length away from the outer surfaces of the scintillator.

7 . The scintillator of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

internal reflective material that was mixed into the scintillator material while in an amorphous state, wherein the internal reflective material reflects light inside the scintillator toward the SiPM; or

external reflective material positioned on an external surface of the solidified scintillator, wherein the external reflective material reflects light exiting the scintillator back into the scintillator material for detection by the SiPM.

8 . The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the OGS material includes a plasticizer additive that reduces the glass transition temperature of the OGS material to a temperature below the SiPM temperature tolerance and decreases a melt viscosity of the OGS material at a given temperature above the glass transition temperature.

9 . The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the lead is left protruding from the scintillator for connection to read-out circuitry.

10 . The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the lead is coupled to read-out circuitry that is embedded in the scintillator with the SiPM.

11 . A method for manufacturing a solid scintillator having a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) embedded therein, the method comprising:

heating an organic glass scintillator (OGS) material to a temperature above a glass transition temperature of the OGS material above which the OGS material is in a supercooled or stable liquid state and below which the OGS material is in an amorphous solid state;

positioning an SiPM with a lead coupled thereto in an interior cavity of a mold, the SiPM having a temperature tolerance above the glass transition temperature of the OGS material;

flowing liquid OGS material into the mold; and

cooling the OGS material until solid with the SiPM and at least a portion of the lead embedded therein.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising removing the mold from the solidified OGS material.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning the SiPM in the mold prior to filling the mold with the OGS material.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning the SiPM in the mold after filling the mold with the amorphous OGS material.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the glass transition temperature is in the range of 25° C. to 200° C.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning the SiPM at least one attenuation length away from an outer surface of the scintillator.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising adding a plasticizer material to the OGS material, wherein the plasticizer material reduces the glass transition temperature of the OGS material to a temperature below the SiPM temperature tolerance and decreases a melt viscosity at a given temperature above the glass transition temperature.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising using active cooling to cool the amorphous OGS material to reduce SiPM exposure to heat.

19 . A system for manufacturing a solid scintillator with a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) embedded therein, the system comprising:

a heat source that applies heat to an organic glass scintillator (OGS) material to maintain the OGS material in a liquid state above a glass transition temperature of the OGS material;

a computing system that controls the heat source;

a temperature monitor that monitors a temperature of the OGS material and which provides OGS material temperature information to the computing system;

a mold having an interior cavity that receives amorphous OGS material; and

a SiPM that is placed in the mold and is coupled to a lead that protrudes from the mold and the amorphous OGS material, wherein the SiPM has a temperature tolerance that is higher than the glass transition temperature.

20 . The system of claim 19 , further comprising an active cooling component that accelerates cooling of the amorphous OGS material with the SiPM embedded therein and reduces exposure of the SiPM to heat.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (9)