JP2013181759A - Scintillator element holding module and radiation light generator using scintillator element holding module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scintillator element holding module in which a scintillator element is easily attached and detached to/from a radiation light generator and which is excellent in pressure resistance by improving maintainability, and a radiation light generator using the scintillator element holding module.SOLUTION: A scintillator element holding module 2 has a supporter 21 and a scintillator element 22. The supporter 21 is made of a metal plate, and the scintillator element 22 is a flat plate made of zinc oxide single crystal. The supporter has a through hole 20 at a central part and a holding part 210 around the through hole, and further has a flange part 2a around the outer circumference thereof. The holding part 210 has a multistage constitution composed of a step part and a bottom part, and a two-step part 21c is formed rectangularly and circularly outside the through hole 20. A plurality of bolt holes 23a penetrating from front to back are formed circularly in the flange part 2a in the vicinity of the outer circumference of the supporter. Then, the scintillator 22 is conductively connected to the holding part of the support 21 with a paste-shaped adhesive.

Description

  The present invention relates to a scintillator element holding module that constitutes a scintillator that is attached to a radiant light generator and measures radiant light.

  The scintillator is a detector that detects light that emits light (fluorescence) for a short time when radiation or the like collides with the scintillator element (scintillation detection element). For example, a single crystal of zinc oxide (ZnO) is used as the scintillator element. . This scintillator element is excited when radiation is incident. Then, when the excitation energy is released and de-excited to the ground state, the short-lived weak light emission (fluorescence) generated at the time of de-excitation is detected by a photoelectric conversion element such as a high-sensitivity photosensor, and is incident thereby. Detected.

  For example, a scintillator element using ZnO fluoresces to a light beam having a wavelength shorter than that of ultraviolet rays including ionizing radiation, and such an element is used in various measuring devices equipped with a radiant light generator using the light beam. . For example, in an apparatus using an EUV laser, the inside of the apparatus is kept in an ultrahigh vacuum, and a scintillator element is also arranged in the apparatus. By irradiating the scintillator element with an EUV laser, fluorescence is generated and functions as a scintillator, thereby measuring the radiation timing of the EUV laser. In some cases, a scintillator element is disposed in front of a solid-state image sensor as in an X-ray imaging apparatus, and an image based on fluorescence of the scintillation detection element is obtained. The scintillation detection element used in such various apparatuses is disposed in, for example, a high vacuum or ultrahigh vacuum atmosphere inside the apparatus.

JP 2011-198609 A

In such a configuration, since the scintillator element is incorporated in the apparatus, it is difficult to maintain the element, and it is difficult to replace the scintillator element when a defect occurs. In addition, when the scintillator element is attached to the boundary wall of the apparatus, high airtightness and pressure resistance are required.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. A scintillator element holding module and a scintillator that are easy to attach and detach a scintillator element to and from a radiant light generator, have improved maintainability, and have excellent pressure resistance. An object of the present invention is to provide a synchrotron radiation generator using an element holding module.

A scintillator element holding module according to the present invention is used to achieve the above object, and is a scintillator element holding module that is attached to a monitor port of a synchrotron radiation generator, and the scintillator element holding module is a scintillator element holding module. A holding body for holding the scintillator element and hermetically joining the holding body, the holding body having a through-hole, at least part of which is made of a conductive material, and covering the monitor port with the radiant light generator. While being attached, the scintillator element is conductively bonded so as to cover the through hole. The emitted light according to the present invention refers to a light beam having a shorter wavelength than the microwave containing ionizing radiation.

The monitor port is provided on the inner and outer boundary walls of the synchrotron radiation generator, and the scintillator element holding module is attached to the monitor port. With such a configuration, the scintillator element can be disposed on the inner and outer boundary walls of the apparatus, and the maintainability and replacement of the scintillator element can be facilitated.

  Further, the scintillator element holding module can shut off the atmosphere inside and outside the apparatus by the configuration including the scintillator element and the holding body that holds the scintillator element and is airtightly joined. For example, the holding body may have a flat metal plate or a configuration in which the cross section has a concave shape and a flange (a flange portion) of the opening portion of the concave shape upper portion.

The holding body has a through hole, at least a part thereof is made of a conductive material, and is attached to the radiation generator so as to cover the monitor port, and the scintillator element covers the through hole. With the configuration in which the conductive bonding is performed, the emitted light can be led out of the apparatus by the scintillator element disposed in the through hole, and the charge based on the irradiation of radiation or the like can be removed by grounding through the holding body. Therefore, stable detection and measurement can be performed for the emitted light without being affected by the electric charge.

  In the above configuration, the holder has a scintillator element holding portion around the through-hole, and the holding portion has a first step portion on the outer peripheral side and a second step portion on the inner peripheral side. A low part lower than the step part is formed between the parts, and the scintillator element may be conductively joined by a joining material at the holding part.

  With the above configuration, the first step portion on the outer peripheral side and the second step portion on the inner peripheral side are formed, and a lower portion lower than between the step portions is formed between these step portions. It becomes easy to hold | maintain at the boundary between a part and a bottom part, and even when excess of joining material arises, it accumulates in a bottom part and does not reach a 2nd step part. Therefore, the fluorescence based on the radiated light irradiated to the scintillator element is surely captured by the photoelectric conversion device, and the detection capability regarding the radiated light is not deteriorated.

  Further, in the above configuration, the bonding material may be a scintillator element holding module including a plurality of bonding materials, and the first step portion and the scintillator element being bonded by a conductive bonding material.

With the above configuration, by joining the scintillator element and the conductive bonding material at the first step portion, both can be reliably and efficiently conductively bonded, and the electric charge based on irradiation of radiation or the like can be efficiently grounded. Can be removed.

  The present invention also proposes a radiation generator using a scintillator element holding module. That is, each scintillator element holding module is provided with a plurality of bolt through holes, and is detachably attached to the periphery of the monitor port of the radiant light generator through the bolt through holes by stud bolts. It may be a light generator.

  A plurality of screw-hole-type bolt through holes are provided in the flange on the outer edge of the holding body constituting the scintillator element holding module, and correspond to the bolt through-holes around the monitor port of the synchrotron radiation generator Screw holes are formed at intervals. The scintillator element holding module is detachably attached to the monitor port by screwing the bolt through hole and the screw hole with a threaded stud bolt. Note that. Although not shown, a gasket made of, for example, copper is interposed between the holder and the monitor port. The said gasket is arrange | positioned between a bolt through-hole and a through-hole, and consists of a hollow circular sheet | seat in which the hole corresponding to the through-hole was formed.

  According to the above configuration, since the scintillator element holding module is detachably attached to the monitor port, it is extremely easy to replace the scintillator element holding module and the maintainability is improved. Moreover, a highly versatile synchrotron radiation generator can be obtained by preparing a plurality of modules having different configurations and replacing them as necessary.

  Furthermore, the radiation generating apparatus may be provided with a photoelectric conversion device for detecting fluorescence of the scintillator element on the opposite side of the scintillator element holding module attached to the monitor port. The photoelectric conversion device may be attached continuously or closely to the light receiving surface of the scintillator element, or may be configured to guide the fluorescence on the phosphor screen to the photoelectric conversion device through an optical waveguide.

  With the above configuration, the photoelectric conversion device can immediately detect the fluorescence based on the incident radiation light to the scintillator element, and an efficient scintillator can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, the scintillator detecting element can be easily attached to and detached from the synchrotron radiation generating device, the maintainability is improved, and the pressure resistance is excellent, and the emitted light is generated using the scintillator element holding module. A device can be obtained.

The fragmentary sectional view of the radiated light generator which shows a 1st embodiment by the present invention Figure 1 is an enlarged view of the monitor port part. The top view of the scintillator element holding module in 1st Embodiment by this invention The fragmentary sectional view which shows other embodiment of the scintillator element holding module by this invention

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of an EUV (extreme ultraviolet light) laser generator as a synchrotron radiation generator, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a monitor port portion in FIG. A holding configuration is shown. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the scintillator element holding module.

FIG. 1 discloses a configuration in which a scintillator element holding module 2 is attached to an EUV laser generator exemplified as a synchrotron radiation generator. The EUV laser generator has a chamber 10 that is a vacuum container, and a discharge unit having a discharge electrode and an EUV condensing unit are provided in the chamber 10 (not shown). In addition, a vacuum pump for providing a vacuum atmosphere in the chamber is provided. The discharge electrodes are connected to a pulse power supply unit, a plasma field is formed between the discharge electrodes, and radiation light B, which is an EUV laser, is emitted from a plasma field that is heated and excited by a large current that flows during discharge.

It is a configuration.

  A monitor port 11 is provided in a part of the chamber 10, and the monitor port is an inner / outer boundary wall of the radiant light generator and is disposed at a position where the radiant light B is irradiated. A scintillator element holding module 2 is tightly and tightly joined to the monitor port 11 from the outside of the apparatus by a stud bolt.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the scintillator element holding module 2 includes a holding body 21 and a scintillator element 22. The holding body 21 is made of a metal plate, and a stainless material such as SUS304 is used as the material, but the metal material is not limited to the stainless material. The holding body has a through-hole 20 in the center portion and a holding portion 210 around it, and further has a flange portion 2a on the outer periphery thereof. The through-hole 20 is a circular through-hole that is arranged so that the EUV laser from the synchrotron radiation generator enters and is led out of the apparatus. The holding part 210 has a multi-stage structure including a step part and a bottom part, and a second step part 21 c is formed in a rectangular shape outside the through hole 20. On the outer periphery of the second step portion 21c, a bottom portion 21b is formed in a rectangular shape at a position (a recessed position) lower than the second step portion 21c. Further, a bottom 21a is formed on the outer periphery of the bottom 21b in a rectangular shape at a position higher than the bottom 21b. In the present embodiment, the first step portion 21a and the second step portion 21c are set at the same height, but the first step portion may be set higher than the second step portion.

  Further, a plurality of bolt through holes 23a penetrating the front and back are formed in a circumferential shape in the flange portion 2a in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the holding body. In this embodiment, six bolt through holes are formed. The bolt hole is formed with a thread groove and is screwed into the stud bolt 23 having the thread groove. In the present embodiment, the holding body 21 uses an ICF70 fixing flange, which is a vacuum component, and has a configuration in which a holding portion that holds the scintillator element is provided on the holding body. Note that a fixing flange having an opening diameter larger than that of the ICF 70, such as an ICF114 fixing flange, may be used depending on the application. In this case, eight bolt through holes may be formed.

  The scintillator element 22 is a flat plate made of zinc oxide (ZnO) single crystal. In the present embodiment, the scintillator element 22 is made of zinc oxide single crystal containing In and Li. The zinc oxide single crystal is a crystal grown by a hydrothermal synthesis method, and the obtained zinc oxide single crystal is cut to form a (0001) plane or −C plane which is the + C plane of the seed crystal 6 ( The portion grown on the (000-1) plane is taken out, and the zinc oxide single crystal of this portion is used as a scintillator element. In addition, you may use substances other than In and Li for the additive added to a zinc oxide.

  The scintillator element 22 is conductively bonded to the holding portion of the holding body 21 with a paste-like bonding material. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the holding portion 210 is configured to be recessed from the surface of the holding body, and is arranged so that the scintillator element 22 is fitted to the holding portion 210. The holding part 210 and the scintillator element 22 are joined by two kinds of joining materials. That is, the scintillator element is bonded to the first step portion 21a of the holding portion by the first bonding material, and the second bonding material is filled in the gap with the holding portion above the first bonding material and hermetically sealed. It is a configuration.

In the present embodiment, a pyroduct 597A (trade name) which is a conductive adhesive based on silver particles and has very high heat resistance is used as the first bonding material. As the second bonding material, Alecom Bond 526N (trade name), which is an epoxy adhesive with less outgas and heat resistance, is used.

In addition, although the electric charge based on the radiated light B radiated to the scintillator element 22 may be charged to the scintillator element surface 21, the first bonding material is a conductive bonding material and is conductively bonded to a holding body made of a metal plate. Therefore, the electric charge can be removed by grounding through the first bonding material. Therefore, stable detection and measurement can be performed on the emitted light without being affected by the charge.

A procedure for joining the holding body and the scintillator element using the joining material will be described below. The scintillator element is a zinc oxide single crystal flat plate. The holding plate having the stepped portion, the bottom portion, and the through hole is made of a metal plate, and the first bonding material is applied to the first stepped portion, and the scintillator element is mounted in a state of fitting with the holding portion serving as the recess. In this state, the bonding material is cured at a temperature of about 100 ° C. after standing at room temperature. At this time, it may be joined by applying a load. Then, it applies so that a 2nd joining material may be inject | poured into the boundary part of a holding | maintenance part and a scintillator element, and a joining material is hardened at the temperature exceeding 100 degreeC. Note that the above-described bonding materials are used as the bonding materials.

The scintillator element holding module is screwed into the monitor port of the synchrotron radiation generator with a stud bolt to perform airtight bonding. Although not shown, a gasket made of, for example, copper is interposed between the holding body and the monitor port. The gasket is disposed between the bolt through hole 23 a and the through hole 20, and is formed of a hollow circular sheet in which a hole corresponding to the through hole 20 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a photoelectric conversion device that detects fluorescence of the scintillator element is provided on the back surface of the scintillator element (opposite the monitor port). With such a configuration, the photoelectric conversion device can immediately detect fluorescence based on incidence of radiated light to the scintillator element, and an efficient scintillator can be obtained. For example, a photomultiplier tube is used for the photoelectric conversion device, and the fluorescence emitted from the scintillator element is amplified and detected by the photomultiplier tube. The photoelectric conversion device may be continuously attached to the phosphor screen of the scintillator element, or may be configured to guide the fluorescence on the phosphor screen to the photoelectric conversion device by an optical waveguide such as an optical fiber. Although not shown in the drawing, the data of the photoelectric conversion device is processed by a signal processing device, and desired information such as timing data of radiated light and image data is obtained.

In addition, when the scintillator element holding module is attached to the synchrotron radiation generator, a baking process (heating process) is performed. This is to remove the adsorbed material adhering to the scintillator element holding module. Specifically, the above scintillator element holding module is hermetically attached to the monitor port of the synchrotron radiation generator with a stud bolt and baked by heating the scintillator element holding module while evacuating with a turbo molecular pump or the like. Process.

As an example, a scintillator element holding module in which a scintillator element made of a ZnO (zinc oxide) flat plate having an outer size of 10 mm × 10 mm is joined to the holding portion of the holding body shown in the above embodiment is manufactured, and this is used to generate radiation light. The device was airtightly attached to the monitor port of the device with a stud bolt. When this scintillator element holding module is heated at about 160 ° C. for several hours and the inside of the synchrotron radiation generator is evacuated, the scintillator element holding module becomes a scintillator element holding module even when the degree of vacuum reaches 1.0 × 10 ^ -5 Pa or more. It was confirmed that there was no problem in practical use, and it was confirmed that there was no airtight leakage from the joint between the scintillator element and the holding body even in a high temperature and high vacuum environment. The external size, processing temperature, time, etc. of the scintillator element are examples, and can be changed according to the required specifications.

Next, another configuration example of the scintillator element holding module is shown below. As shown in FIG. 4, the scintillator element holding module may have a concave configuration as a whole. The scintillator element holding module 4 has a through hole 40, a holding part 410, and a flange part 4 a, and the scintillator element 22 is hermetically joined to the bottom of the holding part 410. The holding portion includes a first step portion 41a, a low portion 41b, and a second step portion 41c, and is airtight and conductive by the conductive first bonding material S1 and the second bonding material as in the first embodiment. And may be joined. In the above configuration, since the scintillator element can be disposed so as to protrude inside the apparatus, there is an effect that the measurement using the scintillator element becomes easy and the degree of freedom related to the measurement can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, an example of the bonding material has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a paste-like bonding material containing nano metal fine particles may be used as the first bonding material, or a metal brazing material. A material may be used. Further, the airtight joining of the scintillator element holding module to the monitor port may be a structure in which the scintillator element holding module is pasted with a joining material and is fastened with a clamping member in addition to being screwed with a stud bolt.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit, gist, or main features. For this reason, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

  It can be applied to the production of scintillator element holding modules and synchrotron radiation generators.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Synchrotron radiation generator 11 Monitor port 2 Scintillator element holding module 20 Through-hole 21 Holding body 210 Holding part 21a First step part 21b Lower part 21c Second step part 22 Scintillator element 23 Stud bolt 3 Photoelectric conversion device

Claims (5)

A scintillator element holding module that is attached to a monitor port of a synchrotron radiation generator, the scintillator element holding module having a scintillator element and a holding body that holds the scintillator element and is hermetically joined. Has a through hole, and at least a part thereof is made of a conductive material, and is attached to the radiation generator so as to cover the monitor port, and the scintillator element is conductively bonded so as to cover the through hole. A scintillator element holding module.
A scintillator element holding portion is provided around the through hole of the holder, and the holding portion has a first step portion on the outer peripheral side and a second step portion on the inner peripheral side, and a step between these step portions. The scintillator element holding module according to claim 1, wherein a lower part lower than the part is formed, and the scintillator element is conductively bonded by a bonding material at the holding part.
The scintillator element holding module according to claim 2, wherein the bonding material includes a plurality of bonding materials, and the first step portion and the scintillator element are bonded by a conductive bonding material.
A scintillator element holding module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the scintillator element holding module is removably attached around the monitor port of the synchrotron radiation generator by a plurality of stud bolts.
5. The synchrotron radiation generator according to claim 4, wherein a photoelectric conversion device for detecting fluorescence of the scintillator element is provided on the opposite side of the scintillator element holding module attached to the monitor port.

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