Ceramic radiation detector device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753344-B2
Application number	US-202117237141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2021
Priority date	Aug 7, 2017
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A ceramic lithium indium diselenide or like radiation detector device formed as a pressed material that exhibits scintillation properties substantially identical to a corresponding single crystal growth radiation detector device, exhibiting the intrinsic property of the chemical compound, with an acceptable decrease in light output, but at a markedly lower cost due to the time savings associated with pressing versus single crystal growth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a ceramic radiation detector material, comprising:
receiving a source material comprising a powder, wherein the source material comprises a chalcopyrite;
applying a pressure to the powder for a predetermined period of time;
holding the powder at an elevated temperature below the melting temperature of the powder for the predetermined period of time, wherein the elevated temperature is between 100° C. and 400° C.; and
annealing a resulting pressed pellet formed from the powder, wherein the pressed pellet comprises a plurality of crystals with different orientations that collectively exhibit a scintillation behavior of a single crystal of the source material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the powder is loaded into a die or mould to which the pressure is applied.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure is between 1500 psi and 4500 psi.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure is applied to the powder in a vacuum of less than 0.1 atm.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the pressure and vacuum are held constant while the pressed pellet is allowed to cool to room temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressed pellet is annealed in an inert atmosphere for 6 hours or more at 400° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, prior to applying the pressure, the powder is first packed into a forming mould and compressed at room temperature to increase the density of the powder to about 80% of the original density.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elevated temperature is achieved by injecting a heated inert gas into the powder.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annealing step is initiated by ramping down the pressure while maintaining the elevated temperature.

10. A method for forming a ceramic radiation detector material, comprising:
receiving a source material comprising a powder, wherein the source material comprises a chalcopyrite;
applying a pressure to the powder for a predetermined period of time, wherein the predetermined period of time is between 6 hours and 24 hours;
holding the powder at an elevated temperature below the melting temperature of the powder for the predetermined period of time; and
annealing a resulting pressed pellet formed from the powder, wherein the pressed pellet comprises a plurality of crystals with different orientations that collectively exhibit a scintillation behavior of a single crystal of the source material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the powder is loaded into a die or mould to which the pressure is applied.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure is between 1500 psi and 4500 psi.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure is applied to the powder in a vacuum of less than 0.1 atm.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pressure and vacuum are held constant while the pressed pellet is allowed to cool to room temperature.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressed pellet is annealed in an inert atmosphere for 6 hours or more at 400° C.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein, prior to applying the pressure, the powder is first packed into a forming mould and compressed at room temperature to increase the density of the powder to about 80% of the original density.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the elevated temperature is achieved by injecting a heated inert gas into the powder.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the annealing step is initiated by ramping down the pressure while maintaining the elevated temperature.

Assignees

• Cons Nuclear Security Llc

Inventors

• Preston Jeffrey R
• Stowe Ashley C

Classifications

• C04B35/547 Primary

  based on sulfides or selenides {or tellurides} · CPC title

• C09K11/623

  with zinc or cadmium · CPC title

• C09K11/881

  Chalcogenides · CPC title

• C04B35/645

  Pressure sintering · CPC title

• C04B2235/3203

  Lithium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title