Processing of transparent polycrystalline AlON:Ce3+ scintillators

Chen, Ching -Fong; Yang, Pin; King, Graham; Tegtmeier, Eric L.

doi:10.1111/jace.13986

Processing of transparent polycrystalline AlON:Ce³⁺ scintillators

Journal Article · Fri Oct 23 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of the American Ceramic Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.13986· OSTI ID:1248612

Chen, Ching -Fong ^[1]; Yang, Pin ^[2]; King, Graham ^[1]; Tegtmeier, Eric L. ^[1]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

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:Ce³⁺) ceramics, which can be produced using ceramic processes in comparison to the high-cost, low-yield single-crystal growth technique. A phase pure AlON:Ce³⁺ powder with cubic symmetry was successfully synthesized at high temperature under a reducing atmosphere to convert Ce⁴⁺ to Ce³⁺ in the solid solution. We explored two different activator concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mol%). Fully dense and transparent AlON:Ce³⁺ ceramics were produced by a liquid-phase-assisted pressureless sintering. The crystal field splitting around the Ce³⁺ 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:Ce³⁺ were demonstrated. Lastly, challenges and mechanisms related to the radioluminescence efficiency are discussed.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

OSTI ID:: 1248612

Report Number(s):: SAND--2016-1338J; 619338

Journal Information:: Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 99; ISSN 0002-7820

Publisher:: American Ceramic SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited By (2)

Transparent polycrystalline Gd ₂ Hf ₂ O ₇ ceramics Chen, Ching‐Fong; Brennecka, Geoff L.; Synowicki, R. A. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 101, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.15550	journal	March 2018
Planetary ball‐milling of AlON powder for highly transparent ceramics Feng, Zhao; Qi, Jianqi; Huang, Xu Journal of the American Ceramic Society https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.16146	journal	October 2018

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