JP2006038870A - Scintillator panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scintillator panel with its raised protective performance. <P>SOLUTION: The scintillator panel 30 comprises a scintillator 12 formed on one surface of a substrate 10, and an organic film 14 covering the whole surface of the substrate 10, from the whole surface of the scintillator 12 to the opposite surface of the formed surface of the scintillator 12, and is formed as one body by vapor deposition. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a scintillator panel used for medical X-ray imaging and the like.

  In medical and industrial X-ray imaging, an X-ray photosensitive film has been used, but radiation imaging systems using radiation detection elements have become widespread from the viewpoint of convenience and preservation of imaging results. In such a radiation imaging system, pixel data based on two-dimensional radiation is acquired as an electrical signal by a radiation detection element, and this signal is processed by a processing device and displayed on a monitor.

  Conventionally, the radiation detection element etc. which are indicated by patent documents 1 and patent documents 2 are known as typical radiation detection elements. These radiation detection elements form a scintillator on the image sensor or FOP, and detect the radiation incident from the scintillator side by converting it into light with the scintillator.

  Here, CsI which is a typical scintillator material is a hygroscopic material, which absorbs water vapor (humidity) in the air and deliquesces, and the characteristics of the scintillator, in particular, resolution deteriorates. Protects the scintillator from moisture by forming a moisture-impermeable moisture barrier on top of the scintillator layer.

Incidentally, a polyparaxylylene film or the like is used as a moisture barrier for protecting the scintillator from moisture. The polyparaxylylene film is deposited by a CVD method (vapor phase growth method). Here, when depositing a polyparaxylylene film by the CVD method, place the substrate on which the scintillator is formed on a flat plate-shaped vapor deposition table or a mesh-shaped vapor deposition table, and place the vapor deposition table in the vapor deposition chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus. A polyparaxylylene film is deposited.
JP-A-5-196742 JP-A-63-215987

  However, when the polyparaxylylene film is deposited by the above-described method, the polyparaxylylene film is formed not only on the substrate but also on the deposition stage, so that it is difficult to pick up the substrate from the deposition stage, and a scintillator is formed. A polyparaxylylene film could not be formed on the entire surface of the substrate.

  An object of this invention is to provide the scintillator panel which improved the protection performance of the scintillator.

  A scintillator panel according to the present invention includes a radiation transmissive substrate, a scintillator formed as a columnar crystal by vapor deposition on a surface opposite to the radiation incident surface of the substrate, a surface of the scintillator formation surface of the substrate from the surface of the scintillator, And a polyparaxylylene-based organic film formed by vapor deposition directly on substantially the entire surface from the side surface to the radiation incident surface.

  The scintillator panel according to the present invention is disposed on a vapor deposition table and supports the substrate on which the scintillator is formed by projecting at least three points of the sample support apart from the vapor deposition table. It can be manufactured by introducing it into the vapor deposition chamber of the apparatus and depositing an organic film on the entire surface of the substrate scintillator and substrate by CVD.

  According to this configuration, since the substrate is supported by the sample support disposed on the vapor deposition table so as to be separated from the vapor deposition table, the organic film is also deposited on the back side of the substrate supported by the sample support. In addition, an organic film can be deposited by a CVD method on the scintillator of the substrate on which the scintillator is formed and on the entire surface of the substrate. In addition, the substrate can be easily picked up from the deposition table after the organic film is deposited.

  According to the present invention, the scintillator on the substrate and the scintillator panel in which the organic film is deposited on the entire surface of the substrate can be easily manufactured. After the organic film is deposited, the substrate can be easily removed from the turntable. Can be taken up.

  Hereinafter, a scintillator panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method will be described in order. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a polyparaxylylene vapor deposition apparatus used in a polyparaxylylene film vapor deposition method in a scintillator panel according to the present invention.

  This polyparaxylylene vapor deposition apparatus includes a vaporization chamber 1 for inserting and vaporizing diparaxylylene, which is a raw material of polyparaxylylene, a thermal decomposition chamber 2 for heating and heating the vaporized diparaxylylene to radicalize, and a radicalized state. A vapor deposition chamber 3 for vapor-depositing diparaxylylene on a substrate on which a scintillator is formed, a cooling chamber 4 for deodorizing and cooling, and an exhaust system 5 having a vacuum pump are provided. Here, the vapor deposition chamber 3 has an inlet 3a for introducing the polyparaxylylene radicalized in the thermal decomposition chamber 2 and an outlet 3b for discharging excess polyparaxylylene as shown in FIG. It has a turntable (evaporation stage) 3c that supports a sample on which a polyparaxylylene film is deposited.

  In this polyparaxylylene vapor deposition apparatus, first, a disk-like or rectangular plate-like substrate 10 on which a scintillator 12 is formed (a scintillator panel according to the present invention) is sample-supported on a turntable 3 c in a vapor deposition chamber 3. It is supported by the needle 20. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom surface of the substrate 10 is supported by three sample support needles 20 arranged so as to form a substantially equilateral triangle, and is arranged on the turntable 3c. The three sample support needles 20 constitute a sample support. Here, the sample support needle 20 has a sample support portion 20a that is sharply pointed at one end, and a disk-shaped installation portion 20b that is in contact with the upper surface of the turntable 3c at the other end. As shown in FIG. 4A, the substrate 10 on which the scintillator 12 is formed is doped with Tl on one surface of a disc-like or rectangular flat plate-like Al substrate 10 (thickness 0.5 mm). The CsI columnar crystals are grown to a thickness of 250 μm by vapor deposition to form the scintillator 12.

  Next, the turntable 3c on which the substrate 10 on which the scintillator 12 is formed is introduced into the vapor deposition chamber 3, heated to 175 ° C. in the vaporizing chamber 1 and vaporized, and heated to 690 ° C. in the pyrolysis chamber 2. The radicalized diparaxylylene is introduced into the vapor deposition chamber 3 from the introduction port 3a, and the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is vapor-deposited to a thickness of 10 μm on the entire surface of the scintillator 12 and the substrate 10 (FIG. 4B). )reference). That is, since the substrate 10 on which the scintillator 12 is formed is supported only by the tip portion of the sample support portion 20a of the sample support needle 20 on the turntable 3c, the substrate 10 as well as the surface of the scintillator 12 and the surface of the substrate 10 are supported. The first polyparaxylylene film 14 can be deposited on the back surface of the film.

  In this case, the inside of the vapor deposition chamber 3 is maintained at a degree of vacuum of 13 Pa. The turntable 3c is rotated at a speed of 4 rpm so that the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is uniformly deposited. Excess polyparaxylylene is discharged from the discharge port 3b and led to a cooling chamber 4 for deodorizing and cooling and an exhaust system 5 having a vacuum pump.

Next, the substrate 10 on which the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is vapor-deposited is taken out of the vapor deposition chamber 3, and the SiO ₂ film 16 is sputtered on the surface of the first polyparaxylylene film 14 on the scintillator 12 side by 300 nm. A film is formed with a thickness (see FIG. 5A). Since the SiO ₂ film 16 is intended to improve the moisture resistance of the scintillator 12, it is formed in a range that covers the scintillator 12.

Further, the second polyparaxylylene film 18 is again formed by 10 μm on the surface of the SiO ₂ film 16 and the surface of the first polyparaxylylene film 14 on which the SiO ₂ film 16 on the substrate 10 side is not formed by the CVD method. Vapor deposition is performed (see FIG. 5B). That is, also in this case, the substrate 10 is supported by the three sample support needles 20 on the turntable 3c of the vapor deposition chamber 3 in the same manner as when the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is vapor deposited. That is, as in the case where the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is deposited, the bottom surface of the substrate 10 is supported by three sample support needles 20 arranged so as to form a substantially equilateral triangle, and on the turntable 3c. (See FIGS. 2 and 3). In this case, the position where the substrate 10 is supported by the sample support needle 20 when the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is deposited and the sample support needle 20 when the second polyparaxylylene film 18 is deposited. The substrate 10 is supported by shifting the position where the substrate 10 is supported.

  Then, the turntable 3c is introduced into the vapor deposition chamber 3, heated to 175 ° C. in the vaporizing chamber 1 and vaporized, and heated to 690 ° C. in the thermal decomposition chamber 2 to radicalize diparaxylylene through the inlet 3a. It introduce | transduces into the vapor deposition chamber 3, and the 2nd polyparaxylylene film | membrane 18 is vapor-deposited by the thickness of 10 micrometers on the scintillator 12 and the whole surface of the board | substrate 10. FIG. By completing this step, the manufacture of the scintillator panel 30 according to the present invention is completed. The scintillator panel 30 is used as a radiation detector by attaching an image sensor (CCD) (not shown) to the scintillator 12 side and making X-rays incident from the substrate 10 side.

  According to the polyparaxylylene film deposition method described above, the substrate 10 on which the scintillator 12 is formed is supported only on the tip of the sample support portion 20a of the sample support needle 20 on the turntable 3c. Since the contact area between the bottom surface of 10 and the tip of the sample support portion 20a is reduced, the polyparaxylylene film can be uniformly deposited on the back surface of the substrate 10 and the like. In addition, after the first polyparaxylylene film 14 and the second polyparaxylylene film 18 are deposited, the substrate 10 can be easily taken up from the turntable 3c.

  Further, when the first polyparaxylylene film 14 is deposited, the position at which the substrate 10 is supported by the sample support needle 20 and when the second polyparaxylylene film 18 is deposited, the substrate 10 is moved by the sample support needle 20. Since the supported position is shifted, peeling of the first polyparaxylylene film 14 and the second polyparaxylylene film 18 can be prevented, and the moisture resistance of the scintillator 12 can be improved. it can.

  In the above description, the substrate 10 on which the scintillator 12 is formed is supported by the three sample support needles 20, but may be supported by four or more sample support needles.

  In the above description, the sample support needle 20 has a sample support portion 20a that is sharply pointed at one end and a disk-shaped installation portion 20b at the other end. As long as the contact area with the bottom surface of the substrate 10 is small and the substrate 10 can be stably supported on the turntable 3c, the shape thereof can be appropriately changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate may be supported by a rope (sample support) 40. Even in this case, since the substrate 10 is supported by the convex portions 40a of at least three points of the rope body 40, the contact area between the bottom surface of the substrate 10 and the net body 40 can be reduced, and the back surface of the substrate 10 can also be polyparaxililated. The len film can be uniformly deposited.

In the above description, the SiO ₂ film 16 is used as the transparent inorganic film. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , TiO ₂ , In ₂ O ₃ , SnO ₂ , MgO, MgF ₂ , An inorganic film made of LiF, CaF ₂ , AgCl, SiNO, SiN, or the like may be used.

  In the above description, CsI (Tl) is used as the scintillator 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and CsI (Na), NaI (Tl), LiI (Eu), KI (Tl), or the like may be used. Good.

  In the above description, an Al substrate is used as the substrate 10. However, any substrate having a good X-ray transmittance may be used, so an amorphous carbon substrate, a C (graphite) substrate, or the like. A substrate mainly composed of carbon, a substrate made of Be, a substrate made of SiC, or the like may be used. Further, a glass substrate or FOP (fiber optical plate) may be used.

  The polyparaxylylene in the above-described embodiment includes polyparaxylylene, polymonochloroparaxylylene, polydichloroparaxylylene, polytetrachloroparaxylylene, polyfluoroparaxylylene, polydimethyl. Including paraxylylene, polydiethyl paraxylylene and the like.

It is a block diagram of the polyparaxylylene vapor deposition apparatus used for manufacture of the scintillator panel which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic of the vapor deposition chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the support state of the board | substrate on the turntable of the vapor deposition apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the scintillator panel which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the continuation of the manufacturing process of the scintillator panel which concerns on this invention. FIG. 6 is a modification of the sample support used for manufacturing the scintillator panel according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... substrate, 12 ... scintillator 14 ... first polyparaxylylene film (organic film), 16 ... SiO ₂ film, 18 ... second polyparaxylylene film, 30 ... scintillator panel.

Claims (2)

A radiation transmissive substrate;
A scintillator formed as a columnar crystal by vapor deposition on the surface opposite to the radiation incident surface of the substrate;
A polyparaxylylene-based organic film formed by vapor deposition directly on substantially the entire surface from the surface of the scintillator to the surface of the scintillator formation surface of the substrate, from the side surface to the radiation incident surface;
Equipped with a scintillator panel. A radiation transmissive substrate;
A scintillator formed as a columnar crystal by vapor deposition on the surface opposite to the radiation incident surface of the substrate;
The substrate on which the scintillator is formed is supported by three or more minute points, and the substrate and the scintillator formed by depositing a material on the substrate and the scintillator are collectively covered with polyparaxyllium. A len-based organic film,
Equipped with a scintillator panel.

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