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Processing of Transparent Polycrystalline AlON:Ce 3+ Scintillators
Author(s) -
Chen ChingFong,
Yang Pin,
King Graham,
Tegtmeier Eric L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/jace.13986
Subject(s) - radioluminescence , materials science , scintillator , crystallite , ceramic , transparent ceramics , analytical chemistry (journal) , quantum yield , cerium , single crystal , phosphor , scintillation , photomultiplier , optoelectronics , optics , crystallography , composite material , fluorescence , metallurgy , chemistry , detector , physics , chromatography
A new polycrystalline ceramic scintillator is reported for potential use in radiation detection and medical imaging applications. The goal was to develop cerium‐activated aluminum oxynitride (AlON:Ce 3+ ) ceramics, which can be produced using ceramic processes in comparison to the high‐cost, low‐yield single‐crystal growth technique. A phase pure AlON:Ce 3+ powder with cubic symmetry was successfully synthesized at high temperature under a reducing atmosphere to convert Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ in the solid solution. Two different activator concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mol%) were explored. Fully dense and transparent AlON:Ce 3+ ceramics were produced by a liquid‐phase‐assisted pressureless sintering. The crystal field splitting around the Ce 3+ activator in the AlON was comparable to the splitting induced by Br − and the Cl − ligands, which produced an emission spectrum perfectly matching the maximum quantum efficiency range of the photomultiplier tube for radiation detection. Both optical excitation and radiation ionizations in AlON:Ce 3+ were demonstrated. Challenges and mechanisms related to the radioluminescence efficiency are discussed.