A high-spatial-resolution three-dimensional detector array for 30-200 keV X-rays based on structured scintillators

Abstract

A three-dimensional X-ray detector for imaging 30-200 keV photons is described. It comprises a set of semi-transparent structured scintillators, where each scintillator is a regular array of waveguides in silicon, and with pores filled with CsI. The performance of the detector is described theoretically and explored in detail through simulations. Based on available hardware, a spatial resolution of 1 m is obtainable. The resolution of a single screen is shown to be determined only by the pitch, at least up to 100 keV. In comparison with conventional homogeneous screens, an improvement in efficiency by a factor of 5-15 is obtainable. The cross-talk between screens in the three-dimensional detector is shown to be negligible. The three-dimensional concept enables ray-tracing and super-resolution algorithms to be applied. © 2008 International Union of Crystallography.