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Synthetic diamond devices for radio‐oncology applications
Author(s) -
Descamps C.,
Tromson D.,
Mer C.,
Nesládek M.,
Bergonzo P.,
Benabdesselam M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200671115
Subject(s) - diamond , materials science , inert , dosimetry , chemical vapor deposition , fabrication , nanotechnology , carbon fibers , optoelectronics , medical physics , chemistry , nuclear medicine , physics , medicine , composite material , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , pathology , composite number
Diamond exhibits a range of outstanding properties that make it a material of interest for radiation detection and particularly in the field of dosimetry applications. In fact, its crystallographic structure makes it chemically inert and radiation hard. Moreover, its atomic number (carbon Z = 6) close to the equivalent effective atomic number of human soft tissues ( Z = 7.4) and of water (reference material in radiotherapy) enables a direct evaluation of the deposited dose without requiring corrections for material nature or energy. Finally, as a bio‐compatible material, it can be sterilised, and it is non‐toxic thus giving strong advantages for medical uses. Natural diamonds are expensive, rare and their use implies a severe gem selection to fabricate reproducible and reliable devices. The emergence of synthetic samples from the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique offers new possibilities in the fabrication of ionisation chamber for the particular field of radiotherapy. Previous studies have shown that defect levels present in material clearly influence the device response under irradiation. Therefore, in order to optimise dosimetric characteristics needed in radiotherapy applications, various low and precisely nitrogen concentrations were incorporated in the material during growth. Influence of these incorporations on ionisation chamber response under medical cobalt irradiator is presented in this paper. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)