Electrodrift purification of materials for room temperature radiation detectors
Abstract
A method of purifying nonmetallic, crystalline semiconducting materials useful for room temperature radiation detecting devices by applying an electric field across the material. The present invention discloses a simple technology for producing purified ionic semiconducting materials, in particular PbI.sub.2 and preferably HgI.sub.2, which produces high yields of purified product, requires minimal handling of the material thereby reducing the possibility of introducing or reintroducing impurities into the material, is easy to control, is highly selective for impurities, retains the stoichiometry of the material and employs neither high temperatures nor hazardous materials such as solvents or liquid metals. An electric field is applied to a bulk sample of the material causing impurities present in the sample to drift in a preferred direction. After all of the impurities have been transported to the ends of the sample the current flowing through the sample, a measure of the rate of transport of mobile impurities, falls to a low, steady state value, at which time the end sections of the sample where the impurities have concentrated are removed leaving a bulk sample of higher purity material. Because the method disclosed here only acts on the electrically active impurities, the stoichiometry of the host material remainsmore »
- Inventors:
-
- 5420 Lenore Ave., Livermore, Alameda County, CA 94550
- (P.O. Box 93, 65 Main St., Apt. 1, Plainfield, Cumberland County, PA 17081)
- 8 Carleton Dr., Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County, PA 15243
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 871012
- Patent Number(s):
- 5641392
- Application Number:
- 08/504,001
- Assignee:
- James, Ralph B. (5420 Lenore Ave., Livermore, Alameda County, CA 94550);Van Scyoc, III, John M. (P.O. Box 93, 65 Main St., Apt. 1, Plainfield, Cumberland County, PA 17081);Schlesinger, Tuviah E. (8 Carleton Dr., Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County, PA 15243)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01G - COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- electrodrift; purification; materials; temperature; radiation; detectors; method; purifying; nonmetallic; crystalline; semiconducting; useful; detecting; devices; applying; electric; field; material; discloses; simple; technology; producing; purified; ionic; particular; pbi; preferably; hgi; produces; yields; product; requires; minimal; handling; reducing; possibility; introducing; reintroducing; impurities; easy; control; highly; selective; retains; stoichiometry; employs; neither; temperatures; nor; hazardous; solvents; liquid; metals; applied; bulk; sample; causing; drift; preferred; direction; transported; current; flowing; measure; rate; transport; mobile; falls; steady; value; time; sections; concentrated; removed; leaving; purity; disclosed; electrically; active; host; remains; substantially; unaffected; removed leaving; hazardous material; liquid metals; conducting material; electric field; liquid metal; current flow; radiation detector; current flowing; hazardous materials; radiation detectors; highly selective; method disclosed; radiation detecting; semiconducting materials; materials useful; preferred direction; remains substantially; semiconducting material; detecting device; electrically active; host material; temperature radiation; /205/204/
Citation Formats
James, Ralph B, Van Scyoc, III, John M., and Schlesinger, Tuviah E. Electrodrift purification of materials for room temperature radiation detectors. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web.
James, Ralph B, Van Scyoc, III, John M., & Schlesinger, Tuviah E. Electrodrift purification of materials for room temperature radiation detectors. United States.
James, Ralph B, Van Scyoc, III, John M., and Schlesinger, Tuviah E. Tue .
"Electrodrift purification of materials for room temperature radiation detectors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871012.
@article{osti_871012,
title = {Electrodrift purification of materials for room temperature radiation detectors},
author = {James, Ralph B and Van Scyoc, III, John M. and Schlesinger, Tuviah E},
abstractNote = {A method of purifying nonmetallic, crystalline semiconducting materials useful for room temperature radiation detecting devices by applying an electric field across the material. The present invention discloses a simple technology for producing purified ionic semiconducting materials, in particular PbI.sub.2 and preferably HgI.sub.2, which produces high yields of purified product, requires minimal handling of the material thereby reducing the possibility of introducing or reintroducing impurities into the material, is easy to control, is highly selective for impurities, retains the stoichiometry of the material and employs neither high temperatures nor hazardous materials such as solvents or liquid metals. An electric field is applied to a bulk sample of the material causing impurities present in the sample to drift in a preferred direction. After all of the impurities have been transported to the ends of the sample the current flowing through the sample, a measure of the rate of transport of mobile impurities, falls to a low, steady state value, at which time the end sections of the sample where the impurities have concentrated are removed leaving a bulk sample of higher purity material. Because the method disclosed here only acts on the electrically active impurities, the stoichiometry of the host material remains substantially unaffected.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 1997},
month = {Tue Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 1997}
}