JP4612876B2 - Radiation detection apparatus, scintillator panel, manufacturing method thereof, and radiation detection system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a radiation detection apparatus that detects radiation used as an electrical signal for medical diagnostic equipment, non-destructive testing equipment, and the like, and more particularly to a columnar crystal scintillator of a radiation detection apparatus having a scintillator layer (phosphor layer) having a columnar crystal structure. It is related with the protective layer. Note that in this specification, in addition to X-rays, electromagnetic waves such as α rays, β rays, and γ rays are included in radiation.

  In recent years, digital radiation detection devices in which a scintillator (phosphor) layer that emits light by irradiating X-rays on the surface of a photoelectric conversion element formed on at least a large area plane has been commercialized.

  Among these digital radiation detection devices, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, etc., as a highly sensitive and sharp device, a plurality of electric elements such as photosensors and TFTs are two-dimensionally arranged. Radiation detection device (“directly”) that directly forms a scintillator layer for converting radiation into light that can be detected by a photoelectric conversion element on a photodetector (also referred to as a “sensor panel”) comprising a photoelectric conversion element unit. Also known as “deposition type” or “direct type”).

  Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 3 and the like, a plurality of photosensors and electric elements such as TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) are arranged on a photodetector including a photoelectric conversion element portion arranged two-dimensionally. A radiation detection device (also referred to as “bonding type” or “indirect type”) in which a scintillator panel in which a scintillator layer for converting radiation into light that can be detected by a photoelectric conversion element is formed on a support substrate is bonded. Are known. As the scintillator layer, for example, a material mainly composed of CsI having a columnar crystal structure formed by vapor deposition is known. In order to prevent moisture from entering the scintillator layer from the outside, a scintillator protective layer is used. Has been made to form. In particular, the CsI material is a hygroscopic material, and there is a problem that the resolution is deteriorated by absorbing moisture.

  In Patent Document 1, a protective layer is formed on the surface of a photoelectric conversion element formed on the surface of a glass substrate to prepare a photodetector, and a scintillator layer made of CsI having a columnar crystal structure is deposited on the surface of the protective layer. There is disclosed a radiation detection apparatus in which a scintillator protective layer made of an organic thin film is formed by a CVD method so as to be directly formed by a method and cover the surfaces of a photodetector and a scintillator layer. Polyparaxylylene is disclosed as a material for organic thin films.

  In Patent Document 2, a scintillator layer made of CsI having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the surface of a photodetector via a protective layer by vapor deposition, and a scintillator protective layer is formed so as to cover the surfaces of the photodetector and the scintillator layer. In addition, a radiation detection apparatus is disclosed that includes a coating resin that causes the outer peripheral portion of the scintillator protective layer to adhere to the surface of the photodetector.

In Patent Document 3, a scintillator layer formed by vapor deposition, a support member, and a scintillator layer are formed on a support member in which a reflective layer made of a reflective metal thin film and a scintillator underlayer are sequentially arranged on a support substrate made of a carbon substrate. A radiation detection device is disclosed in which a scintillator panel on which a scintillator protective layer made of an organic film (polyparaxylylene) provided to cover the surface is formed is bonded to a photodetector. .
JP 2000-284053 A (US Pat. No. 6,262,422) Patent No. 3029873 (US Pat. No. 6,278,118) JP 2000-356679 A (US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/017613)

  However, a scintillator layer having a columnar crystal structure made of an alkali halide such as CsI: Na and CsI: Tl formed by vapor deposition may cause abnormal growth (splash) defects when the scintillator layer is formed. In particular, in a radiation detection apparatus for photographing a human body, the thickness of the scintillator layer is required to be 400 μm or more, and in that case, the abnormally grown portion may be a protrusion having a diameter of 300 μm or more and a height of 20 μm or more. Furthermore, a concave portion having a depth of 20 μm or more may be formed in a donut shape around the protruding abnormally grown portion. The inventors have found that the thickness of the scintillator protective layer is required to be 20 μm or more in order to cover the abnormally grown defect portion of the scintillator layer composed of such protrusions and recesses and satisfy the moisture-proof function. However, since the scintillator protective layer using the polyparaxylylene organic film disclosed in the above patent document is formed by the CVD method, the film formation rate of the scintillator protective layer is as slow as about 100 to 2000 angstroms / minute. The film formation time for forming the 20 μm scintillator protective layer is required to be 2000 to 100 minutes, which has the problem of poor productivity.

  Further, when a scintillator protective layer made of an organic film made of polyparaxylylene used in a large area (for example, 43 cm × 43 cm) radiation detection apparatus such as an X-ray digital camera is formed by the CVD method, the in-plane of the scintillator protective layer The film thickness distribution increases. In the radiation detection apparatuses such as Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the light emitted by the scintillator layer is reflected by the reflection film and enters the photoelectric conversion element, the optical path is determined by the in-plane film thickness distribution of the scintillator protection layer. There is a difference in length. As a result, there is a problem that the resolution of the acquired image is lowered. In addition, in the radiation detection apparatus such as Patent Document 3, when light emitted by the scintillator layer is incident on the light receiving element, a difference occurs in the optical path length due to the film thickness distribution in the surface of the scintillator protection layer, As a result, there is a problem that the resolution of the acquired image is lowered.

  Also, the organic film made of polyparaxylylene has poor adhesion to the protective layer of Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the scintillator underlayer of Patent Document 3, and the scintillator protective layer and the protective layer or the scintillator protective layer and the scintillator There is a problem that peeling or gaps occur at the interface of the base layer, and the moisture resistance and impact resistance at the scintillator protective layer / protective layer interface and the scintillator protective layer / scintillator underlayer interface decrease. Further, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a coating resin is provided at the end of the scintillator protective layer to ensure moisture resistance and impact resistance, but there is a problem that the cost increases due to an increase in the number of components.

In order to solve these problems, a radiation detection device according to the present invention converts a sensor panel having a light receiving unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are disposed, and radiation disposed on the sensor panel into light. a scintillator layer, covering the scintillator layer, anda scintillator protection layer in close contact with the sensor panel in the periphery of the scintillator layer, the scintillator protection layer, Ri Do a hot-melt resin, the adhesion with the sensor panel In the radiation detecting device, the region having a pressure-bonded region by heat and pressure treatment, wherein the pressure-bonded region is thinner than a portion around the region of the scintillator protective layer. is there.

The scintillator panel of the present invention covers a support member, a scintillator layer that converts radiation disposed on the support member into light, and covers the scintillator layer, and is in close contact with the support member around the scintillator layer. includes a scintillator protection layer, wherein the scintillator protection layer is Ri Do from the hot-melt resin, in a region close contact with the support member has a region which is crimped by heat and pressure treatment, the crimped region, The scintillator panel is characterized in that the scintillator protective layer is thinner than a portion around the region of the scintillator protective layer .

A method of manufacturing a radiation detection apparatus according to the present invention includes a sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged, a scintillator layer that is formed on the sensor panel and converts radiation into light, and the scintillator layer. In a manufacturing method of a radiation detection device having a scintillator protective layer that covers and adheres closely to the sensor panel, the sensor panel on which the scintillator layer is formed is prepared, and the melted hot melt resin is added to the scintillator layer and the scintillator layer. provided so as to cover and said sensor panel surrounding the scintillator layer directly, and forming the scintillator protection layer, a heating and pressurizing treatment to the region of the scintillator protection layer adhering to said sensor panel around the scintillator layer To apply pressure to the scintillator protective layer and the sensor panel And by the thickness of the crimped region of the scintillator protection layer is a manufacturing method of a radiation detecting apparatus which comprises a step of thinning than the portion of the periphery of the region.

A method of manufacturing a radiation detection apparatus according to the present invention includes a sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged, a scintillator layer that is formed on the sensor panel and converts radiation into light, and the scintillator layer. A scintillator protection member including a scintillator protection layer that covers and adheres to the sensor panel; and a first step of forming a scintillator protection member having a scintillator protection layer made of hot melt resin, prepare the sensor panel scintillator layer is formed, the scintillator protection layer is the scintillator layer and the sensor panel and directly covering said scintillator protection member said scintillator layer and the sensor panel as surrounding the scintillator layer a second step of adhering the said sheet The pressure-bonded region of the scintillator protective layer is formed by subjecting the scintillator protective layer and the sensor panel to pressure bonding by subjecting the region of the scintillator protective layer that is in close contact with the sensor panel around the scintillator layer to pressure-bond the scintillator protective layer and the sensor panel. And a step of making the thickness of the radiation detector thinner than the surrounding portion of the region .

A method of manufacturing a scintillator panel according to the present invention includes a support member, a scintillator layer that is formed on the support member and converts radiation into light, and a scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and adheres closely to the support member. In the method of manufacturing a scintillator panel, the support member on which the scintillator layer is formed is prepared, and the melted hot melt resin is provided so as to directly cover the scintillator layer and the support member around the scintillator layer. Forming the scintillator protective layer, and applying heat and pressure treatment to a region of the scintillator protective layer that is in close contact with the support member around the scintillator layer to press-bond the scintillator protective layer and the support member The thickness of the crimped region of the scintillator protective layer is the thickness of the region. A step of thinning than the portion of the circumference, is a manufacturing method of a scintillator panel, which comprises a.

Further, the scintillator panel manufacturing method of the present invention includes a support member, a scintillator layer that is formed on the support member and converts radiation into light, a scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and adheres closely to the support member, A scintillator protection member having a scintillator protection layer made of a hot melt resin, and a support member on which the scintillator layer is formed, the scintillator protection layer being close contact and a second step of adhering the scintillator layer and the support member the scintillator protection member so as to cover said support member around the scintillator layer and the scintillator layer directly, and the supporting member around the scintillator layer Before applying heat and pressure treatment to the area of the scintillator protective layer By crimping the said support member and the scintillator protection layer, the scintillator panel comprising the the steps of thinner than portions around the crimped region the area the thickness of the scintillator protection layer It is a manufacturing method.
In addition, the radiation detection apparatus of the present invention includes a sensor panel having a light receiving unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are disposed, a scintillator layer disposed on the sensor panel that converts radiation into light, and the scintillator layer. It enters the hot-melt resin melted is decorated heating and pressurizing treatment in the area of the sensor panel in surrounding the unevenness of the surface of the sensor panel, which is pressure wear surface before Symbol sensor panel by solidification by cooling region and has a, have a scintillator protection layer disposed to cover a portion of the surface and a side surface of the scintillator layer surface of the sensor panel, the crimped region is the one of the scintillator protection layer It is a radiation detection device characterized in that the thickness is thinner than the peripheral portion of the region .
In the scintillator panel of the present invention, the support member, the scintillator layer that converts the radiation disposed on the support member into light, and the region of the support member around the scintillator layer are heated and pressurized. molten hot melt resin enters the unevenness of the surface of the support member, and having a pressure wear areas on the surface before Symbol support member by a solidified by cooling, the support member and the surface and a side surface of the scintillator layer possess a scintillator protection layer disposed to cover the portion of the surface, the crimped region is characterized by a thickness less than the portion of the periphery of the region of the scintillator protection layer scintillator It is a panel.

  According to the present invention, the film formation time of the scintillator protective layer is shortened and productivity is improved. Moreover, the film thickness variation of a scintillator protective layer can be suppressed. Furthermore, the adhesion to the scintillator underlayer and the reflective layer protective layer can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a direct vapor deposition type radiation detection apparatus according to the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. In FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, 1 is a substrate such as glass, 2 is a photoelectric conversion element, 3 is a wiring, and the photoelectric conversion element 2, the wiring 3, and a thin film transistor (TFT) constitute a light receiving unit 15. Reference numeral 4 denotes an electrical connection portion (extraction wiring), 5 denotes a sensor protective layer, 6 denotes a scintillator underlayer, and 11 denotes a wiring connection portion. The photodetector (sensor panel) 16 is configured by 1 to 6 and 11. Yes. Reference numeral 7 denotes a scintillator layer, 8 denotes a scintillator protective layer, 9 denotes a reflective layer, 10 denotes a reflective layer protective layer, and 8 to 10 constitute a scintillator protective member. Moreover, the hot press part 14 is provided in the area | region which contacts the sensor panel 16 of the surrounding area | region in which the light-receiving part 15 or the scintillator layer 7 was formed of the scintillator protection member. Further, 12 is a wiring member, and 13 is a sealing member.

The substrate 1 is formed with a photoelectric conversion element 2, a wiring 3, and a light receiving portion 15 including a TFT (not shown), and glass, heat-resistant plastic, or the like can be suitably used as a material. The photoelectric conversion element 2 converts light converted from radiation by the scintillator layer 7 into electric charges. For example, a material such as amorphous silicon can be used. The configuration of the photoelectric conversion element 2 is not particularly limited, and an MIS sensor, a PIN sensor, a TFT sensor, or the like can be used as appropriate. A wiring 3 indicates a bias wiring for applying a voltage (Vs) to a part of the signal wiring and the photoelectric conversion element, and an electrical connection portion 4 indicates a signal wiring or a driving wiring. The signal photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion element 2 is read out by the TFT and output to the signal processing circuit via the signal wiring. The gates of the TFTs arranged in the row direction are connected to the drive wiring for each row, and the TFT is selected for each row by the TFT drive circuit. The signal processing circuit and the TFT drive circuit are provided outside the substrate 1, and are connected to the photoelectric conversion element 2 and the TFT through the electrical connection portion 4, the wiring connection portion 11, and the wiring member 12. The sensor protective layer 5 is for covering and protecting the light receiving portion 15 and is preferably an inorganic film such as SiN or SiO ₂ . The scintillator underlayer 6 is provided on the sensor protective layer, and the material is preferably a heat resistant resin made of an organic substance such as polyimide or paraxylylene. For example, a thermosetting polyimide resin or the like can be used. The sensor protective film 5 and the scintillator base layer 6 have a function of protecting the photoelectric conversion element. The scintillator underlayer 6 has a function of flattening the surface of the sensor panel 16. Further, the surface of the scintillator underlayer 6 may be appropriately subjected to an activation treatment such as atmospheric pressure plasma treatment for improving the adhesion with the scintillator layer. The scintillator layer 7 converts radiation into light having a wavelength that can be sensed by the photoelectric conversion element 2, and is preferably a scintillator having a columnar crystal structure. In a scintillator having a columnar crystal structure, generated light propagates in the columnar crystal, so that light scattering is small and resolution can be improved. However, a material other than the scintillator having a columnar crystal structure may be used as the scintillator layer 7. As a material of the scintillator layer 7 having a columnar crystal structure, a material mainly composed of an alkali halide is used. For example, CsI: Tl, CsI: Na, and CsBr: Tl are used. For example, CsI: Tl can be formed by simultaneously depositing CsI and TlI. The scintillator protective layer 8 has a moisture-proof protective function for preventing moisture from entering from the outside air and an impact protective function for preventing structural destruction by impact with respect to the scintillator layer 7. The thickness of the scintillator protective layer 8 is preferably 20 to 200 μm. If it is 20 μm or less, the unevenness and splash defects on the surface of the scintillator layer 7 cannot be completely covered, and the moisture-proof protective function may be lowered. On the other hand, when the thickness exceeds 200 μm, scattering of the light generated in the scintillator layer 7 or the light reflected by the reflection layer in the scintillator protection layer 8 increases, and the resolution of the acquired image and MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) decrease. There is a fear. In the present invention, a hot melt resin is used as the scintillator protective layer 8. The description regarding the scintillator protective layer using hot-melt resin is separately mentioned later.

  The reflection layer 9 has a function of improving the light utilization efficiency by reflecting the light that has traveled to the opposite side of the photoelectric conversion element 2 out of the light emitted by being converted by the scintillator layer 7 and guiding it to the photoelectric conversion element 2. It is what has. The reflective layer 9 further has a function of blocking external light rays other than the light generated in the scintillator layer 7 in the photoelectric conversion element 2 and preventing noise from entering the photoelectric conversion element 2. As the reflective layer 9, it is preferable to use a metal foil or a metal thin film, and the thickness of the reflective layer 9 is preferably 1 to 100 μm. If the thickness is less than 1 μm, pinhole defects are likely to occur when the reflective layer 9 is formed, and the light shielding property is poor. On the other hand, if it exceeds 100 μm, the amount of radiation absorbed is large, which may lead to an increase in the dose of exposure to the subject, and it is difficult to cover the step between the scintillator layer 7 and the surface of the sensor panel 16 without a gap. There is a fear. As the material of the reflective layer 9, metal materials such as aluminum, gold, copper, and aluminum alloy that are not particularly limited can be used, but aluminum and gold are preferable as materials having high reflective characteristics. The reflective layer protective layer 10 has a function of preventing the reflective layer 9 from being damaged by impact and corrosion due to moisture, and a resin film is preferably used. As a material for the reflective layer protective layer 10, it is preferable to use a film material such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, vinyl chloride, polyethylene naphthalate, polyimide, or the like. The thickness of the reflective layer protective layer 10 is preferably 10 to 100 μm.

  The wiring connection part 11 is a member for electrically connecting the electrical connection part 4 and the wiring member 12, and is electrically connected to the wiring member 12 by an anisotropic conductive adhesive or the like. The wiring member 12 is a member on which an IC component or the like for reading an electric signal converted by the photoelectric conversion element 2 is mounted, and a TCP (Tape Carrier Package) or the like is preferably used. The sealing member 13 has a function of preventing corrosion due to moisture, a function of preventing damage due to impact, and a static electricity that causes damage to the light receiving part 15 that occurs during manufacturing, with respect to the wiring member 12 and the electrical connection part 4. It has the function to prevent.

The hot press section 14 is provided to improve moisture resistance at the contact interface between the area around the scintillator layer 7 of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin and the sensor panel 16. In the present embodiment, the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin is in contact with the scintillator base layer 6 at the periphery of the scintillator layer 7. The hot press part 14 can be provided in a part or the whole of the peripheral part of the scintillator protection member. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the scintillator protection member is provided on the entire periphery. The hot press unit 14 is a region where the hot-melt resin is partially heated and pressed by the heating and pressurizing means 34 (shown in FIG. 14) so that the thickness of the hot melt resin is thinner than that of the other part, and is pressed (adhered by pressing). It is. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, after the scintillator protective layer 8 is hot-pressed by the heating and pressurizing means 34, the reflective layer 9 and the light-reflective protective layer 10 are formed and hot-pressed. A hot press portion 14 is formed. The scintillator protective layer 8, the reflective layer 9, and the reflective layer protective layer 10 may be hot pressed together. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC ′ viewed from the X direction in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ viewed from the X direction. Reference numerals 4 a to 4 e denote wiring patterns of the electrical connection portion 4. In the surrounding area of the scintillator underlayer 6 where the scintillator layer 7 is formed, the surface of the sensor protective layer 5 is uneven due to the presence of the extraction wiring 4. A scintillator underlayer 6 that functions as a planarizing layer is formed to alleviate the unevenness, but the surface of the scintillator underlayer 6 is not completely flat and has some unevenness. Even if the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin is formed on such a surface, there is a possibility that a slight gap 31 is generated as shown in FIG. That is, in the part of FIG. 3B showing a cross section where hot pressing (heating and pressing) is not performed, the hot melt resin has not sufficiently entered the unevenness of the wiring patterns 4a to 4e, and the wiring pattern and the hot melt resin There may be gaps between them. Due to the gap 31, 1) a decrease in adhesion between the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator protective layer 8, 2) deliquescence of the scintillator layer 7 due to moisture in the atmosphere entering through the gap 31, and 3) moisture resistance of the scintillator protective layer 8 May cause a drop in Therefore, by performing a hot press process (heat press process) using the heating and pressurizing means 34 so as to surround the area where the scintillator layer 7 is formed in the area S where the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator protective layer 8 are in contact with each other, The hot melt resin melted by heating enters the concave portion on the surface of the scintillator underlayer 6 by pressurization, is cured by cooling, and closes and closes the gap 31 on the scintillator underlayer 6. That is, in the portion of FIG. 3A showing the cross section subjected to the hot press treatment, the hot melt resin is sufficiently melted, so that the generation of the gap 31 is suppressed, and as a result, the adhesion is improved and the peripheral portion is improved. Improves moisture resistance. As the hot press treatment, for example, the pressure is 1 to 10 kg / cm ² and the temperature is 10 to 50 ° C. or more from the melting start temperature of the hot melt resin for 1 to 60 seconds.

Below, the scintillator protective layer 8 which consists of hot-melt resin is demonstrated in detail. In order to protect the scintillator layer, in particular to protect the scintillator layer 7 having a columnar crystal structure, the scintillator protection layer 8 is required to have the functions shown in the following 1) to 12).
1) It has impact resistance to prevent damage caused by external impacts 2) It has radiation permeability that suitably transmits radiation from a radiation source 3) Light transmission that preferably transmits light emitted by the scintillator layer 7 4) High adhesion to the surface of the scintillator layer, sensor panel or support member 5) In-plane uniformity of layer thickness to prevent resolution reduction due to optical path difference of transmitted light 6) Substrate and reflective layer 7) Has a film-forming (forming) temperature that does not adversely affect the scintillator layer and the light-receiving part 8) Has high productivity (film-forming) speed 9) High moisture resistance (moisture resistance, non-water permeability) to prevent moisture from entering from outside air 10) Does not contain water, polar solvent, solvent, etc. that dissolves columnar crystals 11) Blots between columnar crystals 12) It has a viscosity that does not cause a noticeable decrease in resolution due to the appearance of the resin. 12) It has a property of being insoluble or slightly soluble in a disinfecting solvent for medical devices such as ethanol. Is preferably used. A hot melt resin is one that is solid at room temperature and does not contain water or a solvent, and is defined as an adhesive resin made of a 100% non-volatile thermoplastic material (Thomas. P. Flanagan, Adhesive Age, 9, No. 3, 28 (1996)). The hot melt resin melts when the resin temperature rises and solidifies when the resin temperature falls. Further, the hot melt resin has adhesiveness to other organic materials and inorganic materials in a heated and melted state, and is in a solid state at room temperature and has no adhesiveness. Moreover, since the hot melt resin does not contain a polar solvent, a solvent, and water, the scintillator layer can be dissolved even if it contacts a scintillator layer having deliquescence (for example, a scintillator layer having a columnar crystal structure made of an alkali halide). Therefore, it can be used as a scintillator protective layer. The hot melt resin is different from a solvent volatile curable adhesive resin formed by dissolving a thermoplastic resin in a solvent and using a solvent coating method. It is also different from a chemically reactive adhesive resin formed by a chemical reaction typified by epoxy.

  Hot-melt resin materials are classified according to the type of base polymer (base material) that is the main component, and polyolefin-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, and the like can be used. As described above, it is important for the scintillator protective layer 8 to have high moisture resistance and high light transmittance to transmit visible light generated from the scintillator. Polyolefin resins and polyester resins are preferred as hot melt resins that satisfy the moisture resistance required for the scintillator protective layer 8. Particularly preferred is a polyolefin resin having a low moisture absorption rate. A polyolefin resin is preferable as the resin having high light transmittance. Accordingly, a hot melt resin based on a polyolefin resin is more preferable as the scintillator protective layer 8.

  As described above, in the surrounding area where the scintillator layer 7 where the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator protective layer 8 are in contact is formed, heat sealing (heating) is performed so as to surround the area where the scintillator layer 7 is formed. It is desirable to carry out pressure bonding). For these purposes, polyolefin, polyester, and polyamide have the property of melting and adhering to the adherend when the temperature rises and solidifying when the resin temperature is cooled. Hot melt resins such as those are preferably used.

  The formation temperature of the scintillator protective layer 8 is required to be a temperature that does not adversely affect the scintillator layer 7 or the photoelectric conversion element 2, the wiring 3, and the TFT (not shown) that are the light receiving portions 15. The formation temperature of the hot melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 depends on the melting start temperature of the resin. The melting start temperature of the hot melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 is 70 ° C. or higher and preferably 150 ° C. or lower. When the temperature is lower than 70 ° C., the heat resistance and storage durability of the product are inferior. When the temperature exceeds 150 ° C., the temperature to be bonded to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 is higher than 150 ° C. The difference in thermal expansion of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot-melt resin is increased, and when the scintillator protective layer 8 is formed on the substrate 1, the warp of the substrate 1 increases, which is not preferable. The above-mentioned polyester-based resin requires many plasticizers in order to obtain a melt viscosity that can be formed and adhered at 70 ° C. to 150 ° C. This plasticizer may diffuse into the scintillator layer 7 and lead to deterioration of the scintillator layer 7 or the like. Accordingly, considering a suitable range of the melting start temperature range of the hot melt resin, a polyolefin resin material that does not require the use of many plasticizers is more preferable.

The penetration of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin between the columnar crystals of the scintillator layer 7 having a columnar crystal structure depends on the viscosity (melt viscosity) at the time of melting of the hot melt resin. The melting viscosity required for the penetration is preferably 1 × 10 ³ Pa · s or more at 100 to 140 ° C., which is the formation temperature of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin. More preferably, it is 1.5 × 10 ³ Pa · s or more. If the viscosity at the time of melting is less than 1 × 10 ³ Pa · s, the hot melt resin penetrates between the columnar crystals of the scintillator layer 7, and the light converted by the scintillator layer 7 is scattered and detected by the light receiving unit 15. The resolution of the image will be reduced.

The adhesion between the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin and the scintillator layer 7 and / or the scintillator underlayer 6 depends on the viscosity at the time of resin melting and the tensile strength of the resin. The viscosity required for adhesion is preferably 1 × 10 ⁴ Pa · s or less. More preferably, it is 6.0 × 10 ³ Pa · s or less. If the viscosity at the time of melting exceeds 1 × 10 ⁴ Pa · s, the adhesion required for the scintillator layer 7 and the scintillator underlayer 6 cannot be obtained. Therefore, the viscosity of the hot melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of the present invention is preferably 1 × 10 ³ to 1 × 10 ⁴ Pa · s at 100 to 140 ° C. More preferably, it is 1.5 × 10 ^{3 to} 6.0 × 10 ³ Pa · s.

The tensile strength required for adhesion is 40 to 300 Kg / cm ² , preferably 50 to 200 Kg / cm ² . If the tensile strength is less than 40 kg / cm ² , the strength required for the scintillator protective layer 8 may be insufficient. Further, when the tensile strength exceeds 300 kg / cm ² , delamination between the scintillator protective layer 8 and the scintillator layer 7 caused by a difference in thermal expansion between the substrate 1 and the scintillator protective layer 8 or the scintillator layer 7 and the scintillator. There is a possibility that delamination with the underlayer 6 cannot be prevented. Further, the delamination depends on the breaking elongation in addition to the tensile strength. The breaking elongation of the hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 in the present invention is 400% or more, preferably 600 to 1000%.

The adhesion strength required for the hot melt resin used for the scintillator protection layer 8 in the present invention, the viscosity at melting, the tensile strength and the elongation at break, and the melting start temperature are as follows:
(1) Content of copolymer contained in hot melt resin,
(2) Content of acrylic acid, acrylic acid ester, methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid ester in the copolymer contained in the hot melt resin,
(3) Content of additives contained in the hot melt resin,
These elements can be controlled by changing them individually or in combination of two or more elements. Hereinafter, the copolymer contained in the hot melt resin and substances constituting the various copolymers will be described.

  In the present invention, the polyolefin-based hot melt resin suitably used for the scintillator protective layer 8 is A.I. An ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; Ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, C.I. Ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer; Ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, E.I. It is preferable that at least one copolymer selected from an ethylene-methacrylic acid ester copolymer and an ionomer resin is contained as a main component.

Hereinafter, the five copolymers A to E will be described.
A. The ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is a copolymer of a substance having a molecular structure of ethylene units; —CH ₂ —CH ₂ — and vinyl acetate; —CH ₂ —CH (OCOCH ₃ ) — ,
- _{[(CH 2 -CH 2) a -CH} 2 -CH (OCOCH 3) b - ] _n (a, b, _n is an integer)
Indicated by The content of vinyl acetate with respect to ethylene is desirably 2 to 40% by weight. In order to increase the moisture resistance of the hot-melt resin, it is preferable to reduce the vinyl acetate content. Moreover, in order to make the adhesive force with a scintillator high, it is preferable to make the content rate of vinyl acetate high. As hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 in this invention, it is preferable that the content rate of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is 5 to 20%.
B. The ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA) comprises an ethylene unit; —CH ₂ —CH ₂ — and acrylic acid having a structure in which a carboxyl group is randomly included in the structure of polyethylene; —CH ₂ —CHCOOH— It is a copolymer of a substance having a molecular structure, and the general formula is
- _{[(CH 2 -CH 2) a -} (CH 2 -CHCOOH) b - ] _n (a, b, _n is an integer)
Indicated by The content of acrylic acid with respect to ethylene is desirably 4 to 20% by weight. Similar to the vinyl acetate, it is preferable to lower the acrylic acid content in order to increase the moisture resistance of the hot melt resin. In order to increase the adhesion with the scintillator layer, it is preferable to increase the content of acrylic acid. As hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 in this invention, it is desirable that the content rate of an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is 5 to 20%.
C. The ethylene-acrylate copolymer is
It is a copolymer of a substance having a molecular structure of ethylene unit; —CH ₂ —CH ₂ — and acrylic acid ester; —CH ₂ —CHCOOR—, and the general formula is
- _{[(CH 2 -CH 2) a -} (CH 2 -CHCOOR) b - ] _n (a, b, _n is an integer)
(Where R is any of CH ₃ , C ₂ H ₅ , and C ₃ H ₇ ). The content of acrylic acid ester with respect to ethylene is desirably 2 to 35% by weight. As described above, in order to increase the moisture resistance of the hot melt resin, it is preferable to decrease the content of acrylic acid ester. Moreover, in order to make the adhesive force with a scintillator layer high, it is preferable to make content of acrylic ester high. As hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 in the present invention, it is desirable that the content of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer is 8 to 25%.
D. The ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer is
It is a copolymer of ethylene units; —CH ₂ —CH ₂ — and methacrylic acid having a structure in which a carboxyl group is randomly included in the structure of polyethylene; —CH ₂ —CCH ₃ COOH—. The general formula is
- _{[(CH 2 -CH 2) a -} (CH 2 -CCH 3 COOH) b - ] _n (a, b, _n is an integer)
Indicated by The content of methacrylic acid with respect to ethylene is desirably 2 to 20% by weight. Similarly to the above, it is preferable to reduce the content of methacrylic acid in order to increase the moisture resistance of the hot melt resin. In order to increase the adhesion with the scintillator layer, it is preferable to increase the content of methacrylic acid. As hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 in the present invention, the content of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer is desirably 5 to 15%.
E. The ethylene-methacrylate copolymer is
It is a copolymer of a substance having a molecular structure of ethylene unit; —CH ₂ —CH ₂ — and methacrylic acid ester; —CH ₂ —CCH ₃ COOR—, and the general formula is
- _{[(CH 2 -CH 2) a -} (CH 2 -CCH 3 COOR) b - ] _n (a, b, _n is an integer)
Indicated by The content of the methacrylic acid ester with respect to ethylene is desirably 2 to 25% by weight. Similarly to the above, in order to increase the moisture resistance of the hot melt resin, it is preferable to decrease the content of methacrylic acid ester. Moreover, in order to make the adhesive force with a scintillator layer high, it is preferable to make the content rate of methacrylic acid ester high. As hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 in the present invention, the content of ethylene-methacrylic acid ester copolymer is desirably 3 to 15%.

The hot melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of the present invention contains at least one of the above five types of copolymers, and may contain a mixture of two or more. In the hot melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of the present invention, two or more different copolymers of the same type of copolymer, for example, ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer and ethylene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer are used. The mixture may be contained in the hot melt resin. In the hot melt resin of the present invention, the weight average molecular weight of the copolymer contained in the hot melt resin is preferably about 5,000 to 1,000,000.
Moreover, as an additive added to hot-melt resin, a tackifier and a softening agent are mentioned, for example. Examples of tackifiers include natural resins such as rosin, polymerized rosin, hydrogenated rosin, rosin ester, and modified products thereof, aliphatic compounds, alicyclic compounds, aromatics, petroleum resins, terpene resins, terpene / phenol resins, hydrogen Additive terpene resin, coumarone resin, etc. are mentioned. Examples of the softener include process oil, paraffin oil, castor oil, polybutene, and low molecular weight polyisoprene.

As a hot-melt resin used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of a radiation detection device (particularly, a radiation detection device for human or animal photography), the function of the scintillator protective layer 8 is not impaired even when disinfecting alcohol is scattered. preferable. As a hot melt resin insoluble or slightly soluble in ethyl alcohol which is an alcohol for disinfection, the content of an additive such as a tackifier in the hot melt resin is preferably 20% or less. In particular, it is preferably 10% or less. Ethanol is a solvent used in a hospital or the like that is an environment where the radiation detection apparatus is used, and may come into contact with the radiation detection apparatus. The inventors have found that if the component dissolved in the solvent is 20% or less, peeling due to the dissolution of the scintillator protective layer 8 does not occur. In order to improve the adhesion between the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin and the scintillator layer 7 having a columnar crystal structure, the surface of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin that is in contact with the scintillator layer 7 is By modifying the surface to have a critical surface tension of 40 × 10 ⁻³ J / m ² or more, preferably 45 × 10 ⁻³ J / m ² or more, the adhesion can be improved. When the content of acrylic acid, acrylic acid ester, methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid ester and the like of the copolymer is 20 wt% or less as the composition of the hot melt resin, the critical surface tension of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of the hot melt resin is 30. It becomes -37 * 10 < ^-3 > J / m < ² >, and the wettability with respect to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 and the surface of the surrounding sensor panel 16 worsens. For this reason, the adhesion between the scintillator protective layer 8 and the scintillator layer 7 and the sensor panel 16 tends to be slightly lowered, but the adhesion is improved by modifying the surface of the hot melt resin and improving the critical surface tension. be able to. At this time, the surface modification method is not particularly limited, and for example, corona discharge treatment, ozone treatment, alkali treatment, argon plasma treatment, oxygen plasma treatment, or the like is appropriately used. By performing corona discharge treatment on both surfaces of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin using a corona discharge device, the critical surface tension of the surface of the scintillator protective layer 8 can be improved. In the present invention, the critical surface tension is measured according to the method of JIS K-6768. In addition, as adhesive force calculated | required between the scintillator protective layer 8 and the sensor panel 16 in this invention, 0.1 kg / 25mm or more is preferable in a 90 degree type | mold peeling test.

Examples of a method for forming a hot melt resin as a scintillator protective layer on the surface of the scintillator layer include the following methods.
(1) A method in which a hot melt resin is melted and the melted resin is directly applied to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 by using a coating apparatus (described in FIG. 4).
(2) A hot-melt resin is applied to a sheet in which the reflective layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 are laminated to form a scintillator protective sheet, and the scintillator protective sheet is applied to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 by hot pressing or thermal lamination. Method of forming (explained in FIGS. 5 and 6).
(3) A method in which a hot melt resin is formed on a release substrate to form a hot melt resin sheet, the hot melt resin layer side is formed on the scintillator surface by hot pressing, thermal lamination, or the like, and then the release substrate is peeled off.
(4) A method of forming a scintillator protective sheet and forming it on the surface of the scintillator by pressure bonding with a vacuum press (explained in FIGS. 7 and 8).

  FIG. 4 shows the method (1). The scintillator protective layer 8 can be obtained by directly applying a hot melt resin melted by using a die coater or a hot melt applicator onto the scintillator layer 7 having a columnar crystal structure, followed by heat radiation curing. The scintillator protective layer 8 can be formed to a thickness of 20 μm or more in a formation time of several seconds to several minutes. This will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c). First, as shown in FIG. 4A, a melted hot melt resin 18 is prepared in a tank (not shown) and a die coater 17 and placed at a predetermined position on the scintillator underlayer 6 (not shown) of the sensor panel 16. Deploy. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the die coater 17 is scanned while injecting the hot melt resin 18 melted from a predetermined position of the scintillator underlayer 6, and applied to the end face and the upper face of the scintillator layer 7. Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, a hot melt resin is applied and coated on the scintillator layer 7 and the surrounding scintillator underlayer 6, and the process is terminated by heat radiation curing.

5 and 6 show the method (2). The method described here is a method of creating a scintillator protective sheet and forming the sheet on the surface of the scintillator layer 7 by thermal lamination. A hot melt resin melted on the reflective layer protective layer 10 and the reflective layer 9 is injected by an extrusion coating method to form a scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the scintillator protective layer 8, the reflective layer 9, and the reflective layer protective layer 10. The scintillator protective sheet 8 is formed on the scintillator layer 7 by stacking the surface of the scintillator protective sheet on the side of the scintillator protective layer 8 on the scintillator layer 7 and laminating with heat rolls. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the molten hot melt resin is prepared in the tank 20 and the die coater 17, and the reflecting layer 9 such as a metal foil or a metal vapor deposition film prepared in a roll shape is prepared. And a reflective sheet protective layer 10 is prepared, and a hot melt resin melted between the forming rolls 23 and 24 is extruded onto the laminated sheet that has been wrinkled by the wrinkle removing rolls 21 and 22 by an extrusion coating method. A scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin is applied, molded with a molding roll 24, cooled and cured with a cooling roll 25, and cut into a predetermined size with a cutting means 26. In this way, the scintillator protection layer 8 made of hot melt resin is formed on the metal foil or the metal vapor deposition film 9, and the scintillator protection sheet shown in FIG. 5B is formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 6A, the obtained scintillator protection sheet is overlaid on the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator layer 7 of the sensor panel 16 and is heated to a temperature higher than the melting temperature of the hot melt resin by the heat laminating roller 27. The hot-melt resin is heated and melted, and the radiation detecting device is moved using the thermal laminating roller 27 and the conveying roller 28, so that the scintillator layer 7 is moved from a predetermined start position on the scintillator protective sheet on the scintillator underlayer 6. The thermal laminating roller 27 is relatively moved so as to be thermocompression bonded from a predetermined start position to a position facing the scintillator layer 7. Here, the radiation detection apparatus is rotated by 90 ° in a plane, and again, the heat laminating roller 27 moves relative to the scintillator layer 7 from a predetermined start position on the scintillator protective sheet on the scintillator underlayer so as to move in a predetermined manner. Thermocompression bonding is performed from the starting position to a position facing the scintillator layer 7. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6B, the scintillator protection sheet is in close contact with the scintillator layer 7 and the scintillator base layer 6 of the sensor panel 16. The temperature of the heat laminating roll is adjusted in the range of 90 to 180 ° C. The rotational speed of the heat laminating roll is adjusted in the range of 0.01 to 1 m / min. The pressing force of the heat laminating roll is adjusted in the range of 1 to 50 kg / cm ² . The temperatures of the two heat laminating rolls 27 and 28 may be different from each other. By changing the temperature, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of warping of the glass substrate 1 of the radiation detection apparatus after thermal lamination. Further, instead of the heat laminating roll 28, a support base may be used, and the heat laminating roll 27 alone may be used for heat pressure bonding. In order to increase the adhesion between the scintillator protective layer 8 and the surface of the sensor panel 16 at the step portion generated in the portion where the scintillator layer is present and the portion where the scintillator layer is not present, the heat roll lamination may be performed twice as described above. preferable. In the first hot roll laminating, the stepped portions on one opposite two sides of the quadrilateral radiation detection apparatus are covered with the thermal laminating rolls 27 and 28, and the scintillator protective layer 8 and the sensor panel 16 are sufficiently adhered. It becomes possible. Next, the scintillator protective layer 8 and the sensor panel 16 are sufficiently brought into close contact with each other on the two opposite side step portions of the radiation detection device by rotating the radiation detection device 90 ° on a plane and laminating again with a heat roll. It becomes possible.

  Next, the method (3) will be described. In this method, a hot-melt resin melted on a peelable release substrate is injected by an extrusion coating method to form a scintillator protective layer 8 and a hot-melt resin sheet made of the release substrate, and the scintillator protective layer of the hot-melt resin sheet The 8 side is formed on the surface of the scintillator layer 7 by hot pressing, heat laminating or the like, and then the release substrate is peeled off. In the method (3), the step of providing the scintillator protective layer 8 on the scintillator layer 7 and the sensor panel 16 is replaced with a laminated sheet formed by laminating the reflective layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 in the method (2). A release substrate is used. After the scintillator protective layer 8 is adhered to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 and the sensor panel 16 by heat laminating rolls 27 and 28, the release substrate is attached to the release substrate before the scintillator protective layer 8 is cooled and solidified. Peel from. After the release substrate is peeled off, a scintillator protection member is formed by providing a laminated sheet consisting of a laminate of the reflective layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 on the scintillator protective layer 8, and the radiation detection apparatus is completed.

7 and 8 show the method (4). 7 and 8 show a method of forming a scintillator protective film by a vacuum press method. In this method, hot melt resin melted on the reflective layer protective layer 10 and the reflective layer 9 is injected by an extrusion coating method to form a scintillator protective sheet comprising the scintillator protective layer 8, the reflective layer 9, and the reflective layer protective layer 10. Then, the surface of the scintillator protective sheet on the scintillator protective layer 8 side is overlaid on the scintillator layer 7 and is pressure-bonded by a vacuum press device. As shown in FIG. 7, the sensor panel 16 in which the scintillator layer 7 is formed is disposed on the heating stage 30 in the vacuum press apparatus, and the scintillator protection sheet (the scintillator shown in FIG. 5B) is disposed on the scintillator layer 7. (Protective sheet) is placed. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the space on the side of the press member 31 (diaphragm rubber or the like) where the radiation detection device is disposed is decompressed and the space on the opposite side of the press member 31 on which the radiation detection device is disposed. Is heated from the sensor panel 16 side by the heating stage 30 and the inside of the vacuum press apparatus is heated by the heater 29. By the diaphragm rubber, the scintillator protective layer 8 is pressed so as to be in close contact with the surface of the scintillator layer 7 and the surface of the sensor panel 16, and further at a temperature about 10 to 60 ° C. higher than the melting start temperature of the hot melt resin, The hot melt resin is melted by heating for several seconds to several minutes. The pressurizing pressure is adjusted in the range of 1 to 50 kg / cm ² . Thus, the hot melt resin is melted and pressure-bonded. The heating is stopped and cooling is performed by heat radiation, and then the decompression of the space where the radiation detection device is arranged and the pressurization of the opposite space where the radiation detection device is arranged are stopped. And a radiation detection apparatus is taken out from the inside of a vacuum press apparatus. As a result, a radiation detection apparatus (FIG. 8) is formed in which the scintillator protective layer 8 is sufficiently adhered to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 and the surface of the sensor panel 16. Here, the hot melt resin sheet may be used instead of the scintillator protection sheet. In that case, similarly to the method (3) above, before the scintillator protective layer 8 is cooled and solidified, the release substrate is peeled off from the scintillator protective layer 8, and then the laminated sheet is provided on the scintillator protective layer 8. Thus, a radiation detection device is formed. In the direct coating method of the above method (1), a scintillator protective layer having the same thickness can be formed in a short time compared with the conventional method of forming an organic film made of polyparaxylylene by the CVD method. Excellent in performance, cost, and film thickness uniformity. In the above method (2), (3), or (4), 1000 or more scintillator protective sheets or hot melt resin sheets can be produced together. The time for adhering the scintillator protection sheet or hot melt resin sheet on the scintillator layer 7 can be about 1 to 30 minutes. Therefore, the scintillator protective layer 8 is formed on the surface of the scintillator layer 7 and the surface of the sensor panel 16 at a deposition rate sufficiently faster than the CVD method for forming a conventional organic film made of polyparaxylylene. Is possible. The size of the scintillator protection sheet or hot melt resin sheet can be set to a predetermined size, and if the size of the scintillator protection sheet or hot melt resin sheet is adjusted, the wiring member 12 such as an IC of the radiation detection apparatus is covered. Since the scintillator protective layer 8 can be formed, there is no need to remove the scintillator protective layer of the electrical mounting portion after the scintillator protective layer is formed like the polyparaxylylene organic film formed by the CVD method. is there.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a warp correction layer 33 is provided on the back surface of the sensor panel 16 in addition to the first embodiment. When the scintillator protective layer 8 is formed on the sensor panel using heat treatment, the sensor panel 16 may be warped due to a difference in thermal expansion and contraction between the sensor panel 16 and the scintillator protective layer 8. Further, when the thickness of the scintillator protective layer 8 is greater than a certain thickness (for example, 100 μm or more), warpage may occur in the substrate 1 such as glass on which the light receiving unit 15 of the radiation detection device is formed. The scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin is provided on the surface of the sensor panel 16 where the scintillator layer 7 is formed at a temperature of 100 to 160 ° C., and then returned to room temperature to form the hot melt resin solidified. Therefore, depending on the difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of the hot melt resin, the thermal expansion coefficient of the scintillator protective film on which the hot melt resin is formed, and the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate 1 in the temperature difference from the temperature at which the hot melt resin is provided to room temperature. The substrate 1 is warped. If the substrate 1 is warped, the position of the wiring member 12 on which the IC component is mounted, such as TCP, is bonded to the electrical connection portion 4 of the sensor panel 16 by using the wiring connection portion 11 such as an anisotropic conductive adhesive. Matching becomes difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, the warp of the substrate 1 of the sensor panel 16 can be reduced by providing the warp forcing layer 33 on the back surface of the sensor panel 16 via the adhesive layer 32 as shown in FIG. The material of the warp forcing layer 33 is a material having a thermal expansion coefficient of the hot melt resin when the cause of warpage is a hot melt resin, and the case where the cause of the warp is a laminated sheet composed of a laminate of the reflective layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer. A material having a thermal expansion coefficient of a laminated sheet is preferable. The warp correction layer 33 may be used as a light shielding layer by containing a coloring material such as black to have a light shielding function. In that case, it is preferable to use an organic pigment or an inorganic pigment as the coloring material. Organic pigments include nitro dyes, azo pigments, indanthrene, thioindigoperinone, perylene, dioxazine, quinacridone, phthalocyanine, isoindolinone, and quinophthalone. Inorganic pigments include carbon black, yellow lead, cadmium yellow, clover million (orange) bengara, shrimp, red lead, cadmium red, mineral violet (purple), cobalt blue, cobalt green, chromium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, There are viridian (green).

[Third Embodiment]
10 and 11 show another embodiment. The present embodiment shows a bonded type radiation detection apparatus in which a sensor panel 16 and a scintillator panel 40 having a scintillator layer covered with a hot melt resin layer are bonded together. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the scintillator panel 40 has a reflective layer 42, a reflective layer protective layer (scintillator base layer) 43, a scintillator layer 7, and a scintillator protective layer 8 formed on a support substrate 41. Is produced. On the surface of the reflective layer protective layer (scintillator base layer) 43 outside the region where the scintillator layer 7 is provided, there are steps and concavities and convexities due to the influence of the support substrate 41 and the reflective layer 42. The scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin melts and enters the steps and irregularities, and then solidifies to adhere closely to the surface of the scintillator layer 7 and the reflective layer protective layer (scintillator underlayer) 43. And a side surface and further a part of the surface of the reflective layer protective layer (scintillator underlayer) 43 is provided. The scintillator panel 40 is provided with a hot press portion 44, and this hot press portion 44 is preferably provided outside the region where the reflective layer 42 is formed. This is because when hot pressing is performed in the region on the reflective layer 42, the reflective layer 42 is deformed by heat, and the reflected light is not incident on a predetermined pixel, which may cause a reduction in resolution. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. The scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin is formed by the same method except that a support member made of the support substrate 41, the reflective layer 42, and the scintillator base layer 43 is used instead of the sensor panel 16. As the support substrate 41, it is preferable to use various radiation transmissive substrates such as an amorphous carbon substrate, an Al substrate, a glass substrate, and a quartz substrate. As the reflective layer 42, it is preferable to use a metal with high reflectivity such as Al, Ag, Cr, Cu, Ni, Ti, Mg, Rh, Pt, and Au. As the reflective layer protective layer (scintillator underlayer) 43, it is preferable to use a transparent inorganic film such as LiF, MgF ₂ , SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , TiO ₂ , MgO, SiN and a transparent organic film such as polyimide. Further, as the reflective layer protective layer (scintillator base layer) 43, it is preferable to use a non-conductive material in order to prevent the occurrence of electrochemical corrosion between the reflective layer 42 and the scintillator layer 7. When a conductive material is used for the support substrate 41, an insulating layer is formed between the support substrate 41 and the reflective layer 42 in order to prevent electrochemical corrosion between the support substrate 41 and the reflective layer 42. It is preferable to do. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the scintillator panel 40 and the sensor panel 16 are bonded together by utilizing the adhesiveness of the scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin. After bonding, the periphery of the radiation detection apparatus (the sensor panel 16 and the scintillator panel 40) bonded by the sealing material 45 is sealed. Here, in the bonding, the sensor panel 16 and the scintillator panel 40 may be bonded together by separately using a general adhesive such as an epoxy resin. However, when a separate adhesive is used, the distance from the scintillator layer 7 to the light receiving unit 15 increases, and there is a possibility that the resolution is lowered due to scattering of light emitted from the scintillator layer 7. FIG. 12 shows a case where a warp correction layer 47 is provided on the scintillator panel 40 in a bonded type radiation detection apparatus. A warp correction layer 47 and an adhesive layer 46 are provided on the back surface of the scintillator panel (the surface opposite to the surface on which the scintillator layer 7 and the scintillator protection layer 8 are formed) of the radiation detection apparatus according to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. Provided. Although the support substrate 41 may be warped due to the difference in thermal expansion and contraction between the support substrate 41 and the scintillator protection layer 8, the thermal expansion coefficient is almost equal to that of the hot melt resin used for the scintillator protection layer 8. A warp correction layer 47 made of a resin is formed on the back surface of the substrate 41 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the scintillator protection layer 8 is formed) via an adhesive layer 46.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a radiation detection system using the radiation detection apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the X-ray 6060 generated by the X-ray tube 6050 passes through the chest 6062 of the patient or subject 6061 and enters the radiation detection device 6040. This incident X-ray includes information inside the body of the patient 6061. The scintillator of the radiation detector 6040 emits light in response to the incidence of X-rays, and this is photoelectrically converted to obtain electrical information. This information is converted to digital, image processed by an image processor 6070, and can be observed on a display 6080 in the control room.

  Further, this information can be transferred to a remote place by a transmission means such as a telephone line 6090, and can be displayed on a display 6081 such as a doctor room in another place or stored in a storage means such as an optical disk, and diagnosed by a remote doctor. It is also possible. It can also be recorded on the film 6110 by the film processor 6100.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with specific examples.

  This example is an example of the direct vapor deposition type radiation detection apparatus shown in the first embodiment and FIG.

  A pixel size of 160 μm × 160 μm comprising a photodiode (photoelectric conversion element) 2 made of amorphous silicon, a TFT (not shown), and an Al wiring 3 in a region of 430 mm × 430 mm on a glass substrate 1 having a thickness of 0.7 mm. These pixels are two-dimensionally arranged to provide the light receiving unit 15. Further, in the area around the glass substrate 1, an Al extraction wiring 4 and a wiring connection portion 11 for electrically connecting to a wiring member 12 such as an IC for reading photoelectric conversion information read from the light receiving portion 15 are provided. Provided. Thereafter, a sensor protective layer 5 made of SiN and a scintillator underlayer (passivation film) 6 made of polyimide were formed except for the region where the wiring connection portion 11 was formed, and a sensor panel 16 was obtained.

  CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure in which thallium (Tl) is added to cesium iodide (CsI) is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the obtained sensor panel 16 by vacuum deposition. A thickness of 550 μm was formed in 4 hours. The addition concentration of Tl was 0.1 to 0.3 mol%. The average column diameter of the CsI: Tl columnar crystal on the top side (deposition surface side) was about 5 μm. The scintillator layer 7 was obtained by heat-treating the formed CsI: Tl in a clean oven in a nitrogen atmosphere at 200 ° C. for 2 hours.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c), a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is melted at 160 ° C., and a scintillator layer 7 is provided using a die coater 17. A thickness covering the surface of the scintillator underlayer 6, the side surface and the top surface of the scintillator layer 7 in a region around the region (region between the end of the scintillator layer 7 and the end of the scintillator underlayer 6) A 100 μm hot melt resin was formed. The formed hot melt resin was dissipated to room temperature and solidified to obtain a scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin. In this example, Hirodine 7544 (manufactured by Hirodine Kogyo) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.

  Next, a reflective film 9 made of Al having a thickness of 40 μm and a reflective film protective layer 10 made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) having a thickness of 50 μm are laminated to protect the reflective layer 9 with scintillator protection. Prepare for the layer 8 side, and adhere the film sheet to the scintillator protective layer 8 using the heat laminating roller 27 under the conditions of the roller temperature of the heat laminating roller 27 of 120 ° C. and the roll rotation speed of 0.2 m / min. Thus, a scintillator protection member comprising the scintillator protection layer 8, the reflection layer 9, and the reflection layer protection layer 10 was obtained.

  Next, the wiring member 12 made of TCP (tape carrier package) provided with an IC is pressure-bonded at 150 ° C. using ACF (anisotropic adhesive) and connected to the wiring connection portion 11, as shown in FIG. Obtained radiation detection device.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  In this example, the same radiation detection apparatus as that of Example 1 except that the hot melt resin material and the forming method used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of Example 1 were different from the hot melt resin material and the forming method. Was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

  A scintillator layer 7 made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure was obtained on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in Example 1 by the same method as in Example 1. .

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer is melted at 120 ° C. in the tank 20 and prepared. Also, a laminated sheet prepared by laminating a reflective layer 9 made of Al with a thickness of 25 μm and a reflective layer protective layer 10 made of PET with a thickness of 25 μm is prepared. A hot melt resin melted between the forming rolls 23 and 24 is applied to the laminated sheet that has been wrinkled by the wrinkle removing rolls 21 and 22 by an extrusion coating method using the die coater 17, and is formed by the forming roll 24. Then, it is cooled and hardened by the cooling roll 25. Thereafter, the sheet was cut into a predetermined size by a cutting means to obtain a scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of a hot melt resin having a thickness of 75 μm to be the scintillator protective layer 8, the reflective layer 9, and the reflective layer protective layer 10. In this example, O-4121 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the obtained scintillator protective sheet is overlaid on the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator layer 7, and the area around the area where the scintillator layer 7 is provided. Hot melt is applied by the hot laminating roller 27 so as to cover the surface of the scintillator underlayer 6, the side surface and the top surface of the scintillator layer 7 in the region between the end of the scintillator layer 7 and the end of the scintillator underlayer 6. The resin is thermocompression-bonded. The radiation detection apparatus is moved using the heat laminating roller 27 and the conveying roller 28, and the heat laminating roller 27 relatively moves on the scintillator layer 7 from a predetermined start position on the scintillator protective sheet on the scintillator underlayer 6. In this manner, the heat pressing is performed from a predetermined start position to a position facing the scintillator layer 7. Subsequently, the radiation detection apparatus is rotated by 90 ° in a plane, and again, the thermal laminating roller 27 is relatively moved on the scintillator layer 7 from a predetermined start position on the scintillator protective sheet on the scintillator underlayer 6, Thermocompression bonding is performed from a predetermined start position to a position facing the scintillator layer 7. By the thermocompression treatment, the scintillator protective layer 8 of the scintillator protective sheet, the scintillator underlayer 6, and the side surfaces and top surfaces of the scintillator layer 7 are brought into close contact with each other, and the scintillator protective layer 8, the reflective layer 9, and the reflective layer protective layer 10 are formed. A scintillator protection member was obtained. Here, the thermocompression bonding was performed under the conditions of a roller temperature of the heat laminating roller 27 of 130 ° C., a roll rotation speed of 0.1 m / min, and a pressure of 10 kg / cm ² .

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 by the same method as in Example 1 to obtain the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  In this example, the same radiation detection apparatus as that of Example 2 was used, except that a hot melt resin material different from the hot melt resin material used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of Example 2 was used. It was manufactured by the method.

  A scintillator layer made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in the first and second embodiments. 7 was obtained.

  Next, by the same method as in Example 2, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-methacrylic acid ester copolymer was provided as a scintillator protective layer 8 on a laminated sheet with a thickness of 100 μm, and the scintillator protective layer 8, reflection A scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. In this example, W-4110 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-methacrylic acid ester copolymer.

Next, the scintillator protective layer 8 of the scintillator protective sheet, the side surface and the top surface of the scintillator underlayer 6, and the scintillator layer 7 are brought into close contact with each other by the same thermocompression treatment as in Example 2, and the scintillator protective layer 8, the reflective layer 9, And the scintillator protection member which consists of a reflection layer protective layer 10 was obtained. Here, the thermocompression bonding was performed under the conditions of a roller temperature of the thermal laminating roller 27 of 120 ° C., a roll rotation speed of 0.1 m / min, and a pressure of 10 kg / cm ² .

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 by the same method as in Examples 1 and 2, and the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 was obtained.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  In this example, the embodiment was carried out except that a hot melt resin material different from the hot melt resin material used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of Example 2 was used and that the surface of the scintillator protective layer 8 of the scintillator protective sheet was treated. A radiation detection apparatus similar to that in Example 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 2.

  A scintillator layer made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in the first and second embodiments. 7 was obtained.

Next, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer is provided as a scintillator protective layer 8 on the laminated sheet by a method similar to that in Example 2, and the scintillator protective layer 8 A scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. In this example, H-2500 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer. H-2500 is a resin with a high chemical resistance such that the content of additives such as adhesion-imparting agents is 20% or less, and the weight change is 5% or less even if it penetrates into ethyl alcohol, which is a medical disinfectant, for 1 hour. It is. Next, the surface of the scintillator protective layer 8 of the obtained scintillator protective sheet was subjected to surface modification by corona discharge treatment so that the surface energy was 45 × 10 ⁻³ J / m ² .

Next, the scintillator protective layer 8 having the modified surface of the scintillator protective sheet, the scintillator underlayer 6, and the side surfaces and the top surface of the scintillator layer 7 are brought into close contact with each other by the same thermocompression treatment as in Example 2 to protect the scintillator. A scintillator protective member comprising the layer 8, the reflective layer 9, and the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. Here, the thermocompression bonding was performed under the conditions of a roller temperature of the heat laminating roller 27 of 130 ° C., a roll rotation speed of 0.1 m / min, and a pressure of 10 kg / cm ² .

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 by the same method as in Examples 1 and 2, and the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 was obtained.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  Further, even when ethyl alcohol, which is a medical disinfectant, scatters in the radiation detection device obtained in this example, the scintillator protection layer does not peel off, and a radiation detection device having a highly moisture-proof scintillator protection layer is obtained. It was.

  In this example, a thermocompression treatment different from the thermocompression treatment of the scintillator protection sheet of Example 4 was performed, and a predetermined region of the scintillator protection layer 8 adhered to the scintillator underlayer 6 was subjected to a heat pressure treatment. Except for the above, a radiation detection apparatus similar to that of Example 4 was produced in the same manner as in Example 4.

  A scintillator layer made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in the first and second embodiments. 7 was obtained.

  Next, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer is provided as a scintillator protective layer 8 on the laminated sheet by a method similar to that in Example 2, and the scintillator protective layer 8 A scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. In this example, as in Example 4, H-2500 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the obtained scintillator protective sheet is placed on the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator layer 7 and placed on the heating stage 30 in the vacuum press apparatus. The surface of the scintillator underlayer 6, the side surface and the top surface of the scintillator layer 7 in the area around the area where the scintillator layer 7 is provided (the area between the end of the scintillator layer 7 and the end of the scintillator underlayer 6) The hot melt resin is subjected to thermocompression-bonding treatment by a heater 29, a heating stage 30, and a press member 31 made of a diaphragm rubber so as to cover them. In this thermocompression bonding process, first, a radiation detector obtained by stacking a scintillator protection sheet on the scintillator layer 7 is installed on the heating stage 30 in the vacuum press apparatus. Next, the space on the side where the radiation detection device of the press member 31 is disposed is depressurized, and simultaneously, the space on the side opposite to the side where the radiation detection device of the press member 31 is disposed is pressurized. By heating from the side and heating the inside of the vacuum press apparatus with the heater 29, the hot melt resin is melted and pressed. Here, the thermocompression treatment was performed under the conditions that the temperature of the heater 29 and the heating stage 30 of the vacuum press apparatus was 130 ° C., the pressing time was 1 minute, and the pressure was 5 kg / cm ² . Thereafter, heating is stopped and cooling is performed by heat radiation, decompression of the space where the radiation detection device is disposed and pressurization of the opposite space where the radiation detection device is disposed are stopped, and the radiation detection device is taken out from the vacuum press device.

Next, a predetermined region of the scintillator protective layer 8 that is in close contact with the scintillator underlayer 6 of the extracted radiation detection device is heated and applied using a heating press device having a heating press unit having a size of 430 mm × 3 mm. By performing pressure treatment (hot press treatment), the scintillator protective layer 8 enters the scintillator protective layer 8 so as to fill the unevenness caused by the wiring interval on the scintillator underlayer 6, and from other regions of the scintillator protective layer 8. A hot press portion 14 having a thin layer thickness is formed. By forming the hot press portion 14, the gap portion 31 (see FIG. 3B) that may be generated due to the unevenness can be filled, and thereby the adhesion between the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator protective layer 6 can be improved. The improvement and the effect of improving the moisture resistance at the interface between the scintillator underlayer 6 and the scintillator protective layer 8 are obtained. The hot press process was performed for each side of the radiation detection apparatus to obtain a hot detection processed radiation detection apparatus. The hot press treatment was performed at a heating temperature of 170 ° C., a pressing pressure of 5 kg / cm ² , and a heating and pressing time of 10 seconds.

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2 to the hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus, and the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 was obtained.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  In this example, the same radiation detection apparatus as that of Example 5 was used, except that a hot melt resin material different from the hot melt resin material used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of Example 5 was used. It was manufactured by the method.

  A scintillator layer made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in the first and second embodiments. 7 was obtained.

  Next, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is provided as a scintillator protective layer 8 on the laminated sheet by a method similar to that in Example 2, and the scintillator protective layer 8 and the reflective layer are provided. 9 and a scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. In this example, as in Example 4, P-2200 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer.

Next, a hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus was obtained by the same method as in Example 5. Here, the thermocompression treatment was performed under the conditions that the temperature of the heater 29 and the heating stage 30 of the vacuum press apparatus was 130 ° C., the pressing time was 1 minute, and the pressure was 5 kg / cm ² . The hot press treatment was performed at a heating temperature of 170 ° C., a pressing pressure of 5 kg / cm ² , and a heating and pressing time of 10 seconds.

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2 to the hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus, and the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 was obtained.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  In this example, the same radiation detection apparatus as that of Example 5 was used, except that a hot melt resin material different from the hot melt resin material used for the scintillator protective layer 8 of Example 5 was used. It was manufactured by the method.

  A scintillator layer made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in the first and second embodiments. 7 was obtained.

  Next, by the same method as in Example 2, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer was provided as a scintillator protective layer 8 on a laminated sheet with a thickness of 150 μm, and the scintillator protective layer 8 A scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. In this example, as in Example 4, Z-2 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer.

Next, a hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus was obtained by the same method as in Example 5. Here, the thermocompression treatment was performed under the conditions that the temperature of the heater 29 and the heating stage 30 of the vacuum press apparatus was 130 ° C., the pressing time was 1 minute, and the pressure was 5 kg / cm ² . The hot press treatment was performed at a heating temperature of 170 ° C., a pressing pressure of 5 kg / cm ² , and a heating and pressing time of 10 seconds.

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2 to the hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus, and the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 was obtained.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  This example is an example of the direct vapor deposition type radiation detection apparatus shown in the second embodiment and FIG.

  In the present embodiment, warpage correction for correcting warpage generated in the sensor panel 16 due to the difference in thermal expansion and contraction between the sensor panel 16 and the scintillator protective layer 8 is provided on the back surface of the sensor panel 16 of the seventh embodiment. A radiation detection apparatus similar to that in Example 7 was produced in the same manner as in Example 7 except that the layer 33 was provided.

  A scintillator layer made of CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure is formed on the scintillator underlayer 6 on the light receiving portion 15 of the sensor panel 16 obtained by the same method as in the first and second embodiments. 7 was obtained.

  Next, by the same method as in Example 2, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer was provided as a scintillator protective layer 8 on a laminated sheet with a thickness of 150 μm, and the scintillator protective layer 8 A scintillator protective sheet having a laminated structure of the layer 9 and the reflective layer protective layer 10 was obtained. In this example, as in Example 4, Z-2 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer.

Next, a hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus was obtained by the same method as in Example 5. Here, the thermocompression treatment was performed under the conditions that the temperature of the heater 29 and the heating stage 30 of the vacuum press apparatus was 130 ° C., the pressing time was 1 minute, and the pressure was 5 kg / cm ² . The hot press treatment was performed at a heating temperature of 170 ° C., a pressing pressure of 5 kg / cm ² , and a heating and pressing time of 10 seconds. During the thermocompression treatment, PET was provided as the warp correction layer 33 on the glass substrate 1 side of the sensor panel 16 via a hot melt resin of H-2500 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki) as the adhesive layer 32. With this configuration, the thermal expansion coefficients of the hot melt resin of the scintillator protective layer 8 and the hot melt resin of the adhesive layer 32 and the thermal expansion coefficients of the PET of the reflective layer protective layer 10 and the warp correction layer 33 are equal. Thus, the radiation detection apparatus can be formed without causing the sensor panel 16 to warp.

  Next, the wiring member 12 was connected to the wiring connection portion 11 in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2 to the hot-pressed radiation detection apparatus, and the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. 9 was obtained.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  This example is an example of the scintillator panel shown in the third embodiment and FIGS. 10 and 11 and a bonded type radiation detection apparatus using the scintillator panel.

  A pixel size of 160 μm × 160 μm comprising a photodiode (photoelectric conversion element) 2 made of amorphous silicon, a TFT (not shown), and an Al wiring 3 in a region of 430 mm × 430 mm on a glass substrate 1 having a thickness of 0.7 mm. The light receiving unit 15 is provided by two-dimensionally arranging the pixels 15. Further, in the area around the glass substrate 1, an Al extraction wiring 4 and a wiring connection portion 11 for electrically connecting to a wiring member 12 such as an IC for reading photoelectric conversion information read from the light receiving portion 15 are provided. Provided. Thereafter, the sensor protective layer 5 made of SiN and the passivation film 6 made of polyimide were formed except for the region where the wiring connection portion 11 was formed, and the sensor panel 16 was obtained.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, on the support substrate 41 made of amorphous carbon having a thickness of 1 mm, a reflective layer 42 is formed by vapor-depositing Al having a thickness of 3000 mm. A scintillator underlayer (reflective layer protective layer) 43 made of polyimide was formed so as to cover the surface of the reflective layer 42 on which the reflective layer 42 was formed and the reflective layer 42 to obtain a support member. Next, CsI: Tl having a columnar crystal structure in which thallium (Tl) was added to cesium iodide (CsI) was formed on the scintillator underlayer 43 by a vacuum deposition method with a thickness of 550 μm in a film formation time of 4 hours. . The addition concentration of Tl was 0.1 to 0.3 mol%. The average column diameter of the CsI: Tl columnar crystal on the top side (deposition surface side) was about 5 μm. The scintillator layer 7 was obtained by heat-treating the formed CsI: Tl in a clean oven in a nitrogen atmosphere at 200 ° C. for 2 hours. Next, a hot melt resin mainly composed of an ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer is melted at 140 ° C., and a region around the region where the scintillator layer 7 is provided using the die coater 17 (an end portion of the scintillator layer 7). A hot melt resin having a thickness of 100 μm was formed to cover the surface of the scintillator base layer 43, the side surface and the top surface of the scintillator layer 7 in the region between the end of the scintillator base layer 43 and the scintillator base layer 43. The formed hot melt resin was dissipated to room temperature and solidified to obtain a scintillator protective layer 8 made of hot melt resin. In this example, Z-2 (manufactured by Kurashiki Boseki Co., Ltd.) was used as a hot melt resin mainly composed of the ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer. The scintillator panel 40 was obtained by the above configuration and manufacturing process.

The sensor panel 16 is prepared on the obtained scintillator panel 40, they are installed on the heating stage 30 in the vacuum press apparatus, and the space on the side where the radiation detection apparatus of the press member 31 is disposed is decompressed and simultaneously pressed. The space on the opposite side of the member 31 on which the radiation detection device is disposed is pressurized, heated from the sensor panel side by the heating stage 30, and heated in the vacuum press device by the heater 29, so that the hot melt resin is melted. The sensor panel 16 and the scintillator panel 40 are bonded. Here, the bonding treatment was performed under the conditions of the temperature of the heater 29 and the heating stage 30 of the vacuum press apparatus being 140 ° C., the pressing time being 3 minutes, and the pressure being 5 kg / cm ² . Thereafter, heating is stopped and cooling is performed by heat radiation, decompression of the space where the radiation detection device is disposed and pressurization of the opposite space where the radiation detection device is disposed are stopped, and the radiation detection device is taken out from the vacuum press device. The radiation detection apparatus formed by adhering the scintillator panel 40 to the sensor panel 16 by the above configuration and manufacturing process was obtained.

  Next, the wiring member 12 is connected to the wiring connection portion 11 in the same manner as in Example 1 in the obtained radiation detection apparatus, and further, a sealing member made of a fluid silicone resin (TES325, manufactured by GE Toshiba Silicone). 11 and a sealing material 45 made of a semi-fluid silicone resin (TSE3253, manufactured by GE Toshiba Silicone Co., Ltd.) was formed to obtain a radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG.

  The radiation detector produced as described above was stored in a 60 ° C., 90% temperature, humidity test tank for 1000 hours. As a result, there were no appearance defects such as misalignment of the scintillator layer 7 and peeling between layers. In addition, no deterioration of the emission intensity due to corrosion and deliquescence caused by water or solvent of the scintillator layer 7 was observed at all, and a highly reliable radiation detection apparatus was obtained.

  Table 1 shows the temperature dependence of the melt viscosity of the hot melt resin used in the above examples.

  The present invention is used for a radiation detection apparatus and a scintillator panel used for medical diagnostic equipment, non-destructive testing equipment, and the like.

1 is a schematic plan view of a radiation detection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in A-A 'of the radiation detection apparatus shown in FIG. (A) is sectional drawing in C-C 'of FIG. 2, (b) is sectional drawing in D-D' of FIG. (A)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating 1 method of forming the scintillator protective layer which consists of hot-melt resin in a scintillator layer. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the 1 method of forming the scintillator protective layer which consists of hot-melt resin. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the 2 methods of forming the scintillator protective layer which consists of hot-melt resin on the surface of a scintillator layer. It is a figure for demonstrating the 3 methods of forming the scintillator protective layer which consists of hot-melt resin on the surface of a scintillator layer. It is a figure for demonstrating the 3 methods of forming the scintillator protective layer which consists of hot-melt resin on the surface of a scintillator layer. It is sectional drawing of the radiation detection apparatus concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (b) is sectional drawing which shows the scintillator panel of the radiation detection apparatus concerning the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (b) is sectional drawing which shows the radiation detection apparatus concerning the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, and its manufacturing method. It is sectional drawing which shows another form of the radiation detection apparatus concerning the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the radiation detection system using the radiation detection apparatus concerning this invention. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows the method of a hot press process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 2 Photoelectric conversion element 3 Wiring 4 Extraction wiring 5 Protective film of photoelectric conversion element 6 Phosphor underlayer 7 Columnar phosphor layer 8 Phosphor protective layer (hot melt resin layer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Light reflection layer 10 Protection layer of reflection layer 11 Wiring connection part 12 Wiring member 13 Sealing member 14 Hot press part 15 Light-receiving part 16 Sensor panel

Claims (28)

A sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged;
A scintillator layer disposed on the sensor panel for converting radiation into light;
A scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and is in close contact with the sensor panel around the scintillator layer;
Have
The scintillator protection layer, Ri Do a hot-melt resin, in a region close contact with the sensor panel, has an area which is crimped by heat and pressure treatment,
The radiation detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the crimped region is thinner than a portion around the region of the scintillator protective layer .   The radiation detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor panel includes a protective layer on the light receiving unit.   2. The radiation detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a reflective layer that is in contact with the scintillator protective layer and reflects light converted by the scintillator layer; and a reflective layer protective layer that protects the reflective layer. Radiation detection device. The radiation detection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the hot melt resin has a polyolefin-based, polyester-based, or polyamide-based resin as a main component. 5. The radiation detection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the hot melt resin contains a polyolefin resin as a main component. A radiation detecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the melting start temperature of the hot melt resin is, 70 ° C. or higher, the radiation detecting device, characterized in that at 0.99 ° C. or less. A radiation detecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the melt viscosity of the hot melt resin and characterized in that it is ^{1 × 10 3 ~1 × 10 4} Pa · s at 100 ° C. to 140 ° C. A radiation detection device. A radiation detecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tensile strength of the hot melt resin is 40 kg / cm ² or more, the radiation detecting device is 300 kg / cm ² or less. A radiation detecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 8, wherein the scintillator layer, the radiation detecting apparatus characterized by having a columnar crystal structure. A support member;
A scintillator layer that converts radiation disposed on the support member into light;
A scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and is in close contact with the support member around the scintillator layer;
Have
The scintillator protection layer is Ri Do from the hot-melt resin, in a region close contact with the support member has a region which is crimped by heat and pressure treatment,
The scintillator panel according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-bonded region is thinner than a portion around the region of the scintillator protective layer . The scintillator panel according to claim 10 , wherein the support member is disposed on a support substrate, a reflective layer that is disposed on the support substrate and reflects light converted by the scintillator layer, and the reflective layer. A scintillator panel comprising: a scintillator underlayer in contact with the reflective layer or the scintillator protective layer. 12. The scintillator panel according to claim 11 , wherein the scintillator panel has a region that is pressure-bonded by a heat and pressure treatment in a region where the scintillator protective layer and the scintillator underlayer are in contact with each other. 13. The scintillator panel according to claim 12 , wherein the scintillator underlayer and the scintillator protective layer outside the region where the reflective layer is provided have a region that is in close contact with the scintillator protective layer by heat and pressure treatment. And scintillator panel. The scintillator panel according to any one of claims 10 to 13 , wherein the hot melt resin contains a polyolefin-based, polyester-based or polyamide-based resin as a main component. 15. The scintillator panel according to claim 14 , wherein the hot melt resin contains a polyolefin resin as a main component. 14. The scintillator panel according to claim 10 , wherein a melting start temperature of the hot melt resin is 70 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower. 14. The scintillator panel according to claim 10 , wherein the hot melt resin has a melt viscosity of 1 × 10 ³ to 1 × 10 ⁴ Pa · s at 100 ° C. to 140 ° C. 14. Scintillator panel. 14. The scintillator panel according to claim 10 , wherein the hot melt resin has a tensile strength of 40 kg / cm ² or more and 300 kg / cm ² or less. The scintillator panel according to any one of claims 10 to 18 , wherein the scintillator layer has a columnar crystal structure. A radiation detection apparatus comprising: the scintillator panel according to any one of claims 10 to 19 ; and a sensor panel having a light receiving unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that receive light from the scintillator layer are arranged. A sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged, a scintillator layer that is formed on the sensor panel and converts radiation into light, and a scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and adheres closely to the sensor panel In a method for manufacturing a radiation detection apparatus,
Prepare the sensor panel on which the scintillator layer is formed, and provide the melted hot melt resin so as to directly cover the scintillator layer and the sensor panel around the scintillator layer to form the scintillator protective layer And a process of
A region of the scintillator protective layer that is in close contact with the sensor panel in the periphery of the scintillator layer is subjected to a heat and pressure treatment so that the scintillator protective layer and the sensor panel are pressure-bonded, whereby the pressure-bonding of the scintillator protective layer is performed. A method of manufacturing a radiation detection apparatus, comprising: making a thickness of the region thinner than a portion around the region . A sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged, a scintillator layer that is formed on the sensor panel and converts radiation into light, and a scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and adheres closely to the sensor panel A scintillator protection member containing
A first step of forming a scintillator protection member having a scintillator protection layer made of hot melt resin;
The sensor panel on which the scintillator layer is formed is prepared, and the scintillator protection member is attached to the scintillator layer and the sensor so that the scintillator protection layer directly covers the scintillator layer and the sensor panel around the scintillator layer. A second step of closely contacting the panel;
A region of the scintillator protective layer that is in close contact with the sensor panel in the periphery of the scintillator layer is subjected to a heat and pressure treatment so that the scintillator protective layer and the sensor panel are pressure-bonded, whereby the pressure-bonding of the scintillator protective layer is performed. A method of manufacturing a radiation detection apparatus, comprising: making a thickness of the region thinner than a portion around the region . In a method of manufacturing a scintillator panel, comprising: a support member; a scintillator layer that is formed on the support member and converts radiation into light; and a scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and adheres closely to the support member.
The support member on which the scintillator layer is formed is prepared, and the scintillator protective layer is formed by providing a molten hot melt resin so as to directly cover the scintillator layer and the support member around the scintillator layer. Process ,
A region of the scintillator protective layer that is in close contact with the support member around the scintillator layer is subjected to heat and pressure treatment so that the scintillator protective layer and the support member are pressure-bonded. Making the thickness of the region thinner than the surrounding portion of the region;
A method of manufacturing a scintillator panel, comprising: In a method of manufacturing a scintillator panel, comprising: a support member; a scintillator layer that is formed on the support member and converts radiation into light; and a scintillator protective layer that covers the scintillator layer and adheres closely to the support member.
A first step of forming a scintillator protection member having a scintillator protection layer made of hot melt resin;
Prepare the supporting member to which the scintillator layer is formed, the scintillator layer and the support member the scintillator protection member so that said scintillator protection layer covering the said support member around the scintillator layer and the scintillator layer directly A second step of closely adhering to
A region of the scintillator protective layer that is in close contact with the support member around the scintillator layer is subjected to heat and pressure treatment so that the scintillator protective layer and the support member are pressure-bonded. Making the thickness of the region thinner than the surrounding portion of the region;
A method of manufacturing a scintillator panel, comprising: A method for manufacturing a radiation detection apparatus, comprising a step of fixing a scintillator panel manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 23 or 24 and a sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged. A signal processing means for processing a signal from the radiation detection apparatus, and a signal processing means for recording the signal from the signal processing means, comprising the radiation detection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and 20 . comprising recording means, a display means for displaying the signal from said signal processing means, and transmission processing means for transmitting a signal from said signal processing means, a radiation source for generating the radiation A radiation detection system characterized by that. A sensor panel having a light receiving portion in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged;
A scintillator layer disposed on the sensor panel for converting radiation into light;
Enter the unevenness of the hot melt resin is a surface of the sensor panel heating and pressurizing treatment in the area of the sensor panel in the surrounding is melted is subjected of the scintillator layer, pressure on the surface of the front Symbol sensor panel by solidification by cooling and has a wear area, have a scintillator protection layer disposed to cover a portion of the surface and a side surface of the scintillator layer surface of the sensor panel,
The crimped region is thinner than the portion around the region of the scintillator protective layer.
A radiation detector characterized by that . A support member;
A scintillator layer that converts radiation disposed on the support member into light;
Enter the unevenness of the surface of the hot melt resin is the support member which heat and pressure treatment in the region of the support member at the periphery is melted is subjected of the scintillator layer, pressure on the surface of the front Symbol support member by a solidified by cooling and has a wear area, have a scintillator protection layer disposed to cover the portion of the surface of the support member and the surface and a side surface of the scintillator layer,
The crimped region is thinner than the portion around the region of the scintillator protective layer.
A scintillator panel characterized by that .