Bright and ultra-fast scintillation from a semiconductor?

Semiconductor scintillators are worth studying because they include both the highest luminosities and shortest decay times of all known scintillators. Moreover, many semiconductors have the heaviest stable elements (Tl, Hg, Pb, and Bi) as a major constituent and a high ion pair yield that is proport...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2016-01, Vol.805 (C), p.36-40
Main Authors: Derenzo, Stephen E., Bourret-Courshesne, Edith, Bizarri, Gregory, Canning, Andrew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptor
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Cryogenic
Donor
isoelectronic
Scintillator
Semiconductor
Ultra-fast
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Summary:Semiconductor scintillators are worth studying because they include both the highest luminosities and shortest decay times of all known scintillators. Moreover, many semiconductors have the heaviest stable elements (Tl, Hg, Pb, and Bi) as a major constituent and a high ion pair yield that is proportional to the energy deposited. We review the scintillation properties of semiconductors activated by native defects, isoelectronic impurities, donors and acceptors with special emphasis on those that have exceptionally high luminosities (e.g. ZnO:Zn; ZnS:Ag, Cl; CdS:Ag, Cl) and those that have ultra-fast decay times (e.g. ZnO:Ga; CdS:In). We discuss underlying mechanisms that are consistent with these properties and the possibilities for achieving (1) 200,000 photons/MeV and 1% fwhm energy resolution for 662keVgamma rays, (2) ultra-fast (ns) decay times and coincident resolving times of 30ps fwhm for time-of-flight positron emission tomography, and (3) both a high luminosity and an ultra-fast decay time from the same scintillator at cryogenic temperatures.
ISSN:0168-9002
1872-9576
DOI:10.1016/j.nima.2015.07.033