Lanthanide doped strontium barium mixed halide scintillators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE45930-E
Application number	US-201414569322-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Jan 6, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides for a composition comprising an inorganic scintillator comprising a lanthanide-doped strontium barium mixed halide useful for detecting nuclear material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inorganic scintillator having the formula:
Sr 1-y′-y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y   (I);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element and are each independently Cl, Br, or I, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 2+, x has a value having the range 0<x≦2 0<x<2, y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′<1 0<y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦1 0<y<1, and y′+y<1; and the inorganic scintillator is a single crystal having at least one dimension of a length of at least 1 mm, or a length at least sufficient to stop or absorb gamma-radiation.

2. The inorganic scintillator of claim 1 , wherein X 1 is Br and X 2 is I.

3. The inorganic scintillator of claim 1 , wherein Ln is Eu or Yb.

4. The inorganic scintillator of claim 1 , wherein x has a value having the range 0≦x≦2 0.1≦x≦1.9.

5. The inorganic scintillator of claim 4 , wherein x has a value having the range 0.3≦x≦1.2.

6. The inorganic scintillator of claim 1 , wherein y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′≦0.85 0<y′≦0.85.

7. The inorganic scintillator of claim 1 , wherein y has a value having the range 0.001≦y≦0.5.

8. The inorganic scintillator of claim 2 , wherein Ln is Eu, x has a value having the range 0.3≦x≦1.2, y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′≦0.85 0<y′≦0.85, and y is about 0.05.

9. The inorganic scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the single crystal has at least one dimension of a length of at least 5 mm.

10. An inorganic scintillator having the formula:
Sr 1-y′-2y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y ,M y   (II);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, M is an alkaline metal with an atomic number smaller than the atomic number of Sr or Ba, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, and y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′≦1 0≦y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦0.5 0<y<0.5, and y′+2y<1; or,
Sr 1-y′-z Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-n :Ln z   (III);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element and are each independently Cl, Br, or I, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′<1 0<y′<1, and z has a value having the range 0<z≦0.1, and y′+z<1; and
wherein the inorganic scintillator is a single crystal having at least one dimension of a length of at least 1 mm, or a length at least sufficient to stop or absorb gamma-radiation.

11. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein X 1 is Br and X 2 is I.

12. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein Ln is Ce.

13. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula (II) and M is Li or Na.

14. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein x has a value having the range 0.3≦x≦1.2.

15. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′≦0.85 0<y′≦0.85.

16. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula (II) and y has a value having the range 0.001≦y≦0.5 0.001≦y<0.5.

17. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula (III) and z has a value having the range 0.001≦z≦0.1.

18. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the single crystal has at least one dimension of a length of at least 5 mm.

19. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula:
Sr 1-y′-2y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y ,M y   (II);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element Br, X 2 is a second halogen element I, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, M is an alkaline metal with an atomic number smaller than the atomic number of Sr or Ba, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, and y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦0.5 0<y<0.5, and y′+2y<1.

20. The inorganic scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula:
Sr 1-y′-z Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln z   (III);
wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element and are each independently Cl, Br, or I, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′<1, and z has a value having the range 0<z≦0.1, and y′+z<1.

21. An inorganic scintillator having the formula:
Sr 1-y′-y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y   (I);
wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 2+, x has a value having the range 0<x≦2, y′ has a value having the range 0<y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦1, and y′+y<1;
Sr 1-y′-2y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y ,M y   (II);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, M is an alkaline metal with an atomic number smaller than the atomic number of Sr or Ba, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, and y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦0.5 , and y′+2y<1; or,
Sr 1-y′-z Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln z   (III);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, y′ has a value having the range 0<y′<1, and z has a value having the range 0<z≦1, and y′+z<1; and wherein the inorganic scintillator is a single crystal having at least one dimension of a length of at least 1 mm, or a length at least sufficient to stop or absorb gamma-radiation.

22. The inorganic scintillator of claim 21 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula:
Sr 1-y′-y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y   (I);
wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 2+, x has a value having the range 0<x≦2, y′ has a value having the range 0<y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦1, and y′+y<1.

23. The An inorganic scintillator of claim 21 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has having the formula:
Sr 1-y′-2y Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln y ,M y   (II);

wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with a valence of 3+, M is an alkaline metal with an atomic number smaller than the atomic number of Sr or Ba, x has a value having the range 0<x<2, and y′ has a value having the range 0≦y′<1, y has a value having the range 0<y≦0.5 0<y<0.5, and y′+2y<1;
wherein the inorganic scintillator is a single crystal having at least one dimension of a length of at least 1 mm.

24. The inorganic scintillator of claim 23 , wherein y′ has a value having the range 0<y′<1.

25. The inorganic scintillator of claim 21 , wherein the inorganic scintillator has the formula:
Sr 1-y′-z Ba y′ X 1 x X 2 2-x :Ln z   (III);
wherein X 1 is a first halogen element, X 2 is a second halogen element, X 1 and X 2 are not the same halogen element, Ln is a lanthanide with

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Gundiah Gautam
• Bizarri Gregory A
• Hanrahan Stephen M
• Bourret-Courchesne Edith D
• Derenzo Stephen E

Classifications

• C09K11/7705

  with alkali or alkaline earth metals · CPC title

• G21K4/00 Primary

  Conversion screens for the conversion of the spatial distribution of X-rays or particle radiation into visible images, e.g. fluoroscopic screens (photographic processes using X-ray intensifiers G03C5/17; discharge tubes comprising luminescent screens H01J1/62; cathode ray tubes for X-ray conversion with optical output H01J31/50) · CPC title

• C09K11/7733

  with alkali or alkaline earth metals · CPC title

• Y10T428/2982

  Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.] · CPC title

• C30B11/00

  Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method (C30B13/00, C30B15/00, C30B17/00, C30B19/00 take precedence; under a protective fluid C30B27/00) · CPC title