High energy resolution scintillators having high light output

• US 8,299,436 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Srivastava, Alok Mani, Duclos, Steven Jude, Clarke, Lucas Lemar, Comanzo, Holly Ann, Deng, Qun
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, SHUN K
• Application Number:
  US11/172,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20070001118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,680 Days
• Field of Search: 250/361.R, 252/301.4 H
• US Class Current: 250/361.R
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3206 Magnesium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3208 Calcium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof, e.g. lime
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3213 Strontium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3215 Barium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3224 Rare earth oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. scandium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3225 Yttrium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3229 Cerium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/5152 based on halogenides other than fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7705 with alkali or alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7773 with alkali or alkaline earth metal

Abstract

A scintillator composition includes a matrix material, where the matrix material includes an alkaline earth metal and a lanthanide halide. The scintillator composition further includes an activator ion, where the activator ion is a trivalent ion. In one embodiment, the scintillator composition includes a matrix material represented by A₂LnX₇, where A includes an alkaline earth metal, Ln includes a lanthanide ion, and X includes a halide ion. In another embodiment, the scintillator composition includes a matrix material represented by ALnX₅, where A includes an alkaline earth metal, Ln includes a lanthanide ion, and X includes a halide ion. In these embodiments, the scintillator composition includes an activator ion, where the activator ion includes cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A detector element comprising:

a scintillator material configured to convert an incident radiation into photons, wherein the scintillator material comprises;

a matrix material comprising;

an alkaline earth metal, wherein the alkaline earth metal comprises strontium, or calcium, or magnesium, or combinations thereof;

a rare earth element halide, wherein the rare earth element halide comprises at least one rare earth element and at least one halide ion;

an activator ion for the matrix material, wherein the activator ion comprises cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof; and

a photon detector optically coupled to the scintillator material and configured to convert the photons into electrical signals.

2. The detector element of claim 1, wherein the detector element comprises a nuclear imaging detector.

3. The detector element of claim 2, wherein the detector element comprises a positron emission tomography detector.

4. The detector element of claim 1, wherein the detector element comprises a well-logging tool.

5. The detector element of claim 1, wherein the at least one halide ion comprises chlorine and bromine, or bromine and iodine, or chlorine and iodine, or chlorine and bromine and iodine.

6. A scintillator composition comprising:

a matrix material represented by ALnX₅, wherein A comprises an alkaline earth metal, wherein Ln comprises a rare earth element, and wherein X comprises a halide ion, wherein the halide ion comprises chlorine and bromine, or bromine and iodine, or chlorine and iodine, or chlorine and bromine and iodine; and

an activator ion for the matrix material, wherein the scintillator composition produces visible photons in response to impinging radiation, wherein the impinging radiation includes X-ray radiation, or beta radiation, or gamma radiation, or combinations thereof, wherein the activator ion comprises cerium and bismuth, or bismuth and praseodymium, or cerium and bismuth and praseodymium.

7. A method of operation of a detector element comprising:

transmitting radiation through an object;

receiving the radiation by a scintillator material to produce photons which are characteristic of the radiation, wherein the scintillator material comprises;

a matrix material comprising;

an alkaline earth metal;

a rare earth element halide, wherein the rare earth element halide comprises at least one rare earth element and at least one halide ion, wherein the halide ion comprises chlorine and bromine, or bromine and iodine, or chlorine and iodine, or chlorine and bromine and iodine;

an activator ion for the matrix material; and

detecting the photons by a photon detector optically coupled to the scintillator material and configured to convert the photons into electrical signals, wherein the activator ion comprises cerium and bismuth, or bismuth and praseodymium, or cerium and bismuth and praseodymium.