RADIATION DETECTOR DEVICE HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE OPTICAL INTERFACE

• US 20090278052A1
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Menge, Peter R., Frank, John M., Gaspar, Renee
• Granted Patent: US 8,039,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/370.110
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20 with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A radiation detector device is disclosed and includes a scintillation device having a scintillator crystal. The radiation detector device also includes a photosensor. Further, the radiation detector device includes an optical interface coupled between the scintillation device and the photosensor. The optical interface is electrically conductive.

Claims

1. A radiation detector device, comprising:

a scintillation device including a scintillator crystal;

a photosensor; and

an optical interface coupled between the scintillation device and the photosensoi, wherein the optical interface is electrically conductive.

2. The radiation detector device of claim 1, wherein the optical interface is characterized by a surface resistivity of less than approximately 10¹⁵ ohm-cm.

3. The radiation detector device of claim 2, wherein the optical interface is characterized by a surface resistivity of less than or equal to approximately 10⁹ ohm-cm.

5. The radiation detector device of claim 1, wherein the optical interface is electrically grounded.

6. The radiation detector device of claim 1, wherein the optical interface comprises a polymer and a conductor.

7. The radiation detector device of claim 6, wherein the conductor includes at least one of an electrically conductive coating or an electrically conductive coupled feature.

8. The radiation detector device of claim 7, wherein the optical interface comprises a transparent or translucent substrate and wherein at least one surface of the substrate is at least partially coated with the electrically conductive coating.

9. The radiation detector device of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive coating includes a polymer.

10. The radiation detector device of claim 9, wherein the electrically conductive coating comprises poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

11. The radiation detector device of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive coupled feature comprises a metallic material.

12. The radiation detector device of claim 11, wherein the metallic material comprises a wire article integrated with the optical interface.

13. The radiation detector device of claim 12, wherein the wire article comprises a wire mesh.

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19. A radiation detector device, comprising:

a scintillation device including a scintillator crystal and at least one stabilizing mechanism, wherein the at least one stabilization mechanism is adapted to apply a total stabilization pressure of less than approximately 100 psi to the scintillator crystal;

a photosensor; and

a photon counter device adapted to count photons emitted by the scintillator crystal based on electrical pulses received from the photosensor, the electrical pulses output by the photosensor based on photons received at the photosensor from the scintillation device;

wherein counts per second recorded by the photon counter, when vibrational frequencies of from approximately 50 Hz to approximately 1450 Hz are applied to the radiation detector device at a load of less than or equal to approximately 30 G, average less than or equal to 116% of an average background value.

20. The radiation detector device of claim 19, wherein a peak counts per second recorded by the photon counter, when vibrational frequencies of from approximately 50 Hz to approximately 1450 Hz are applied to the radiation detector device, is less than 200% of the average background value.

24. The radiation detector device of claim 19, wherein a peak counts per second value recorded by the photon counter, when vibrational frequencies applied to tile radiation detector device are within a range of a resonance frequency of the radiation detector device, are less than or equal to 200% of the average background value

26. The radiation detector device of claim 24, wherein the resonance frequency is approximately 975 Hz.

27. The radiation detector device of claim 26, wherein the range is from 900 Hz to 1000 Hz.

29. The radiation detector device of claim 19, wherein counts per second recorded by the photon counter, when vibrational frequencies applied to the radiation detector device are within a range of a resonance frequency of the radiation detector device, do not vary from the average background value by more than approximately 20.0%.

36. The radiation detector device of claim 19, further comprising an optical interface that includes a transparent or translucent substrate and wherein at least one surface of the substrate is at least partially coated with an electrically conductive coating, the electrically conductive coating characterized by a surface resistivity of less than approximately 10¹⁵ ohm-cm.

40. The radiation detector device of claim 36, wherein the electrically conductive coating on each surface of the substrate is characterized by an average thickness that is from approximately 0.03% to approximately 0.25% of a thickness of the substrate.

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41. A method of applying an electrically conductive coating to silicone rubber, the method comprising:

at least partially coating a surface of a polished substrate with an electrically conductive polymer;

applying an uncured mixture of silicone rubber and curing agent to the at least partially coated surface;

curing the silicone rubber; and

detaching the cured silicone rubber from the substrate, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is disposed on a surface of the detached, cured silicone rubber.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is transparent or translucent.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrically conductive polymer comprises poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the substrate surface is characterized by an average root-mean-square roughness of less than approximately 2 μ

m.

53. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is applied to the substrate in a thickness of from approximately 0.5 μ

m to approximately 4 μ

m.

59. The method of claim 41, wherein the cured silicone rubber is adapted to be used as an optical interface in a radiation detector device.

60. The method of claim 41, wherein the cured silicone rubber is adapted to be used in at least one organic electronic device.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the at least one organic electronic device includes an organic light-emitting diode, an organic visual display or an organic opto-electronic device.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the organic opto-electronic device includes a solar cell or a Pockels cell.

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63. An article, comprising cured silicone rubber and having a plurality of surfaces, wherein an electrically conductive polymer material at least partially coats at least one of the plurality of surfaces and wherein the article is characterized by a surface resistivity of less than 10¹⁵ ohm-cm.

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