Energy dependence of TLD-900 dosimeters exposed to low energy X-rays

This work investigates the energy dependence of CaSO₄:Dy (TLD-900) thermoluminescent dosimeters to low energy X-rays. Dosimeters were exposed to X-ray radiation qualities between 30 and 250 kVp for three air kerma values: 100, 250 and 500 mGy. The detector thermoluminescent response as a function of air kerma and the detector's relative kerma sensitivity with respect to ⁶⁰Co as a function of effective energy were obtained. Monte Carlo and analytical calculations were also performed. A maximum relative kerma sensitivity of 12 is found for a 22 keV effective energy corresponding to the 50 kVp X-ray beam. Monte Carlo and analytical calculations accurately describe trends in the energy dependence curve as a function of photon energy though they predict lower values for the relative kerma sensitivity. Maximum difference is observed at the lowest energy measured (16 keV) where experimental data is 2.1 and 2.3 times greater than Monte Carlo and analytical calculations, respectively. The difference between measurements and Monte Carlo-calculated predictions is attributed to the intrinsic energy dependence of TLD-900. Values of intrinsic energy dependence estimated from the measured relative TL kerma sensitivity together with the MC and analytical calculated values of kerma energy dependence were found to be independent of beam quality in the region from 33 to 142 keV effective energies.     

A mammographic phantom to measure mean glandular dose by thermoluminescent dosimetry

We have designed a phantom to evaluate mean glandular dose (MGD) as part of the regulatory dosimetry control for mammographic equipment. The phantom is constituted by TLD-100 thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs) inserted within semicircular plates of acrylic. Different groups of TLDs are used to determine entrance surface air kerma and half-value layer (HVL). Calibration of both tasks has been performed using a Senographe 2000D system and an ionization chamber. The phantom has been tested in five clinical systems. The HVL and MGD obtained by this method agree, on average, within 3%, with those from standard procedures based on the use of ionization chambers. The phantom MGD measurements have a combined uncertainty better than 10% (k = 1).     

Can the HVL help the mechanical X‐ray tube characterization?

High‐intensity X‐ray beams are usually characterized by their kVp (kilovoltage peak) value and half‐value layer (HVL). While the first parameter is reasonably well known (apart from accelerating potential fluctuations), on the second, there is a greater deal of uncertainty. The HVL depends on the used filtration, the effective kVp value and on some of the X‐ray tube mechanical features, such as the anode angle. This last parameter is not always provided by the tube manufacturer, so we may question if the HVL dependence on the anode angle can be used to extract information on this angle. We tried to give an answer to this question using two different numerical models and a full Monte Carlo (MC) program to simulate the photon field produced by the X‐ray tube for several anode angles. One of the numerical models was developed by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine and gives X‐ray spectra and HVL values for a wide range of kVp values and anode angles. The other model, named SpekCalc, is based on a theoretical work developed by Gavin Poludniowski and Phil Evans. The MC simulation was done using the PENELOPE code for coupled electron‐photon transport. Using the computed photon spectra, HVLs were obtained and compared with experimental HVL values obtained with a Philips PW 2184/00 X‐ray tube with a 26° tungsten anode and accelerating potentials in the range of 40–90 kVp. We are now able to show the PENELOPE simulation can deliver the correct anode angle value. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hg1-xCdxTe/Cd1-zZnzTe的X射线反射率及半峰全宽的动力学研究

X射线衍射摇摆曲线的计算机模拟是一种获得材料晶体质量参量的有效方法，其中材料本征摇摆曲线的计算是计算机模拟的基础。用X射线动力学理论计算了Hg1-xCdxTe和Cd1-zZnzTe本征反射率曲线，并研究了组分、膜厚分别对本征反射率和半峰全宽的影响。结果表明Hg1-xCdxTe和Cd1-zZnzTe的本征反射率和半峰全宽与材料组分和厚度有明显的依赖关系，且该依赖关系取决于X射线在材料中的散射和吸收的相对强弱。薄膜的厚度也是直接影响本征摇摆曲线峰形、半峰全宽和反射率的重要因素，当薄膜厚度小于穿透深度时，表征本征反射率曲线的各个参量均与薄膜厚度有直接的关系。对于(333)衍射面，碲镉汞材料厚度大于7μm后，本征反射率和半峰全宽将不再发生明显变化。     

VO2 thin films based active and passive thermochromic devices for energy management applications

VO₂ thin films were fabricated by argon ion beam assisted non-reactive ac dual magnetron sputtering followed by carefully controlled thermal oxidation. This method is known to give high quality compact thin films with uniform high deposition rates. Thin films deposited on both bare glass and indium tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates were studied, respectively, as passive and active thermochromic devices for their electrical and optical switching behaviors. Thin films varying in thicknesses from 65 to 250 nm were investigated. ITO film was used as an integrated heating device to activate the phase transition via an applied bias voltage. Such structures were found to bear several advantages from an application point of view.     

Application of high-energy synchrotron-radiation XPS to determine the thickness of SiO2 thin films on Si(100)

The escape depth of photoelectrons depends on their kinetic energy. We apply this relationship to measure film thicknesses from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements with tunable-energy synchrotron radiation (SR). For this purpose, a “high-energy SR-XPS” instrument has been constructed and used to characterize thermally oxidized thin films on Si(100) single crystals. In order to observe photoelectrons emitted from deeper regions than with conventional XPS, Si 1s photoelectrons with an energy up to 4000 eV were measured with X-ray energies up to 5800 eV. The oxide thickness was estimated from measurements of the relative Si intensities from the oxide and the substrate at various photon energies. Our results suggest that the SR-XPS system is useful for measuring the thickness of thin films.     

Development of a new nanocrystalline alloy for X-ray shielding

The purpose of this study was to develop a new nanocrystalline alloy material, which can replace lead for the purposes of radiation shielding as it is not hazardous to the human body and it is light in weight, to use the developed alloy in a fiber, and to evaluate its performance. This study used tungsten carbide and cobalt as the base metals and developed a new nanocrystalline alloy material. Then, radiation-shielding fibers 0.2 and 0.4?mm thick were created from the prepared tungsten carbide and cobalt powder. Equivalent dose was measured and shielding rate was obtained by the lead-equivalent test method for X-ray protection of goods suggested in the Korean Standard. According to our results, the shielding rate of the 0.2-mm-thick WC–Co alloy was 96.52% at a tube voltage of 50?kVp, 94.86% at a tube voltage of 80?kVp, and 94.10% at a tube voltage of 100?kVp. The shielding rate of the 0.4-mm-thick WC–Co alloy was 97.47% at a tube voltage of 50?kVp, 96.57% at a tube voltage of 80?kVp, and 95.63% at a tube voltage of 100?kVp. It is believed that the nanocrystalline WC–Co alloy developed for radiation shielding in this study will contribute to a decrease in primary X-ray exposure as well as exposure to low-dose secondary X-rays, such as scattered rays. Furthermore, the use of a nanocrystalline WC–Co alloy oxide rather than lead will allow for the development of shielding wear that is lighter and contribute to the development of various radiation-shielding products made of environmentally friendly materials.     

一种新型平板彩色显示器件的制备和光谱分析

以MEH-PPV(聚[2-甲氧基-5-(2′-乙基己氧基-对苯乙烯)])和Alq₃作为发光层, 成功制备出ITO/SiO₂/MEH-PPV/SiO₂/Al结构和ITO/SiO₂/Alq₃ /SiO₂/Al结构的固态阴极射线器件。通过分析SSCL光谱,认为这些高速电子激发有机材料后形成Frenkel激子。当器件两个电极之间加的电压比较低时,有机薄膜层的场强也比较低,这些激子被解离的概率很小,从而产生的是激子发光的长波发射;当器件两个电极之间加的电压比较高时,有机薄膜层的场强很高, 在有机层形成的激子大部分被解离, 解离后的电子直接跃迁至LUMO(lowest unoccupancied molecular orbit),这些电子弛豫后从LUMO能级到HOMO(highest occupancied molecular orbit )能级直接辐射跃迁, 接着重新复合发光,从而产生短波发射。制作的固态阴极射线器件可以实现全色发光, 提高发光效率和加强蓝光发射。作者可以预期所研制出的这种SSCL器件必将引发平板显示领域一场新的革命性变革。     

基于小尺度参考辐射的便携式伽玛射线剂量(率)仪校准方法及应用

针对现有伽玛射线剂量(率)测量仪器检定方法送检距离远、周期长、效率低的不足,中国工程物理研究院核物理与化学研究所采用基于样本仪表的机器预测方法,开展了基于小尺度参考辐射的便携式伽玛剂量(率)仪遂行校准技术研究工作。最终成功地研制了一套辐射防护用伽玛射线剂量(率)仪遂行校准装置,实现了测量标准不确定度不大于5%的良好结果。为伽玛空气比释动能量值的遂行定度提出了一条全新的技术思路,为便携式伽玛剂量(率)仪的现场和野外校准提供了一种全新的示范装备。     

Au电极厚度对MgZnO紫外探测器性能的影响

利用分子束外延设备(MBE)制备了MgZnO薄膜.X射线衍射谱、紫外-可见透射光谱和X射线能谱表明薄膜具有单一六角相结构,吸收边为340 nm,Zn/Mg组分比为62:38.采用掩膜方法使用离子溅射设备,在MgZnO薄膜上制备了Au电极,并实现了Au-MgZnO-Au结构的紫外探测器.通过改变溅射时间,得到具有不同Au电极厚度的MgZnO紫外探测器.研究结果表明:随着Au电极厚度的增加,导电性先缓慢增加,再迅速增加,最后缓慢增加并趋于饱和;而Au电极的透光率则随厚度的增加呈线性下降.此外,随着Au电极厚度的增加,器件光响应度先逐渐增大,在Au电极厚度为28 nm时达到峰值,之后逐渐减小.     

Evaluation of the radiation dose to a phantom for various X-ray exposure factors performed using the dose area product in digital radiography

The aim of this study is to measure the dose area product (DAP) in digital radiography by using a DAP meter to determine the X-ray exposure. Pediatric X-ray examinations can be obtained for any radiographic examinations using the selected radiographic examination parameters (kVp and mAs), the DAP information recorded. The best peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) at a fixed tube voltage of 70 kVp was obtained at tube currents of 20 and 32 mA, whereas the best PSNR at a fixed tube current of 25 mA was obtained at a tube voltage of 73 kVp. The fixed tube voltage of 70 kVp and the fixed tube current of 25 mA could help to obtain the best image quality and depict the spatial resolution of an anthropomorphic torso phantom radiographic examination. The normalized data over the DAP were provided to determine the patient dose from radiography.     

Entropy as a measure of the performance of phosphor materials used in medical imaging radiation detectors

In information theory, entropy expresses the information gain obtained after detection of a signal concerning the state of a parameter of interest. In this study, entropy has been expressed in terms of physical quantities (emitted optical fluence and MTF) related to the imaging performance of phosphor materials, which are employed in medical imaging radiation detectors. Four phosphor materials, used in the form of laboratory-prepared fluorescent layers (screens), were compared on the basis of their entropy performance. Measurements were performed using 30- and 80-kVp X-ray beams often employed in X-ray imaging. Results showed that phosphor materials with high density and effective atomic number exhibit high entropy performance, especially at the higher X-ray tube voltage of 80 kVp. Entropy values are also affected by the type of activator, which determines the intrinsic X-ray-to-light conversion efficiency, and the spectrum of emitted light. The proximity of the incident X-ray quanta energy to the energy of the K-shell threshold for photoelectric absorption is an additional important factor which increases entropy. This effect was more apparent in the performance of yttrium-based phosphors at the lower voltage of 30 kVp. Received: 7 January 2000 / Accepted: 28 March 2000 / Published online: 23 August 2000     

Tunable structural color of anodic tantalum oxide films

Tantalum(Ta) oxide films with tunable structural color were fabricated easily using anodic oxidation.The structure,components,and surface valence states of the oxide films were investigated by using gazing incidence X-ray diffractometry,X-ray photoelectron microscopy,and surface analytical techniques.Their thickness and optical properties were studied by using spectroscopic ellipsometry and total reflectance spectrum.Color was accurately defined using L*a*b* scale.The thickness of compact Ta2O5 films was linearly dependent on anodizing voltage.The film color was tunable by adjusting the anodic voltage.The difference in color appearance resulted from the interference behavior between the interfaces of air-oxide and oxide-metal.     

Study on the effects of gadolinium-based MRI contrast medium on X-ray scanning

Gadolinium has a higher atomic mass (64) than iodine (53). The K-edge absorption energy of gadolinium is 50.2 keV, which is in the absorbed wavelength range of the X-rays used by a CT scanner, suggesting that it has a high X-ray absorption ability. This study examined the effects of a gadolinium-based MRI contrast medium on the quality (mAs) and the quality (kVp) of radiation during a X-ray scan. A contrast medium phantom was manufactured after diluting the contrast medium to various concentrations. A CT scanner (Siemens, Somatom Senation 64, Germany) was used to obtain images by changing the quality of radiation from 80 kVp to 100, 120, and 140 kVp. At a constant quality of radiation of 120 kVp, the mAs was changed from 100 mAs to 200 and 300 mAs and images were obtained under each condition. The Hounsfield units (HUs) in a test tube were measured for analysis and comparison. The contrast enhancement by the contrast medium for CT scanning was 100% at a tube voltage of 80 kVp. The contrast enhancements at 100 kVp, 120 kVp, and 140 kVp were 93.8%, 87.7%, and 69.5%, respectively. In addition, although the quantity increased a fixed tube voltage, the HU of the test tube remained relatively constant, indicating that the absorption of the contrast medium had little association with the quantity of X-rays but had some correlation with the quality of radiation. A tube voltage of 80 kVp or lower is recommended when a MRI contrast medium is used CT scanning. When MRI scanning and X-ray scanning are conducted together, X-ray scanning should be performed first or after sufficient gadolinium contrast medium has been excreted.

     

Spectral calibration of filters and detectors of solar telescope at a wavelength of 13.2 nm for the TESIS project

The telescope at a wavelength of 13.2 nm of the TESIS device of the CORONAS-PHOTON satellite is intended for imaging hot plasma (T ～ 10 MK) of the solar corona. In this paper, calibration of optical elements of the telescope is described. The transmittance of multilayer Zr/Si filters and the sensitivity and radiation resistance of the CCD-array-based detector were measured. The transmittance of filters in the operating wavelength range was 40–50% (for filters of various thicknesses); the spectral dependence of the transmittance was close to the calculated one. The transmittance of filters in the visible region was (1–2) × 10^?6. The detector sensitivity was 0.01–0.1 analog-to-digital units per photon (adu/photon), the radiation resistance was better than 10⁹ rad.     

Fabrication of cosputtered Zn–In–Sn–O films and their applications to organic light-emitting diodes

Zn–In–Sn–O (ZITO) films have been grown by rf magnetron cosputtering system from ceramic oxide targets of ZnO and ITO onto glass substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the microstructure is amorphous below the substrate temperature of 250 ^°C. The films exhibit sheet resistance as low as 16.7 Ω/□ and optical transparency comparable to grater than that of Sn-doped indium oxide (ITO) films. The work function ranged 5.05–5.19 eV, which is a higher work function compared to ITO (4.7 eV). The fabricated ZITO films are used in fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The ZITO anode with the zinc content of 12.5 at.% [Zn/(Zn+In+Sn)] fabricated at 250 ^°C-based OLED shows lower turn-on voltage and higher current density compared to that of ITO-based control device.     

Experimental study of the stability and reflective properties of depleted uranium thin films at a wavelength of 4.5 nm

A technology of depleted uranium thin films, which can be used as high-reflectivity X-ray mirrors at a wavelength of 4.5 nm, is presented. The coefficient of X-ray reflection by these mirrors varies from 90 to 10% at grazing angles between 1° and 10°. The stability of the reflection coefficients for 200-Å-thick depleted uranium films covered by a protective carbon layer 100 and 200 Å in thickness and for 200-Å-thick uranium-nickel films with a nickel content of 9 and 23 wt % is studied. A high-reflectivity mirror is fabricated with the goal of increasing the X-ray radiation intensity in RKK-1-100 X-ray calibration equipment. Advice on fabrication of X-ray mirrors based on depleted uranium films is given.     

Study of polyethylene nanolayers by evanescent light microscopy

Nanometer polyethylene (PE) thin films were prepared by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE). Insulating PE thin films of different thicknesses, below 200 nm, were fabricated by varying the deposition conditions. We then used the Differential Evanescent Light Intensity (DELI) microscopy technique for thickness profiles investigation of the PE nanolayers together with AFM measurements for calibration. A phenomenological model for the interaction between the evanescent waves and the deposited material and simulations of the nanofilms evanescent light scattering using the Maxwell equation solver FullWAVE are presented.     

The role of etched silicon channels on the pore ordering of mesoporous silica: The importance of film thickness on providing highly orientated and defect-free thin films

If mesoporous thin films (MTFs) are to be utilised in device applications it is important that we produce films which not only possess a single pore direction across large substrate areas (in the range of microns) but are also relatively defect free. In this paper we report the use of confining architectures in the form of topographically patterned rectangular section channels etched into native silicon substrates to promote ordering of the mesopores. We discuss the effects of the channels on films with different thicknesses. The film thickness is shown to be a critical parameter in defining highly orientated and defect-free films and the data demonstrate that it is possible to achieve a single mesoporous silica domain across macroscopic dimensions with thin film thicknesses of approximately 200 nm but that critically pore order can be lost in ultra thin and thicker films produced by these methods.     

Structural,luminescent, and morphological properties of Eu3+-doped NaTaO3 thin films grown by magnetron sputtering

Radio-frequency (RF)-sputtered Eu³⁺-doped NaTaO₃ thin films were grown at different deposition temperatures. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all thin films contained two mixed phases of NaTaO₃ and Na₂Ta₈O₂₁. The photoluminescence spectra of the thin films consisted of a strong orange emission (592 nm) and two weak red bands (616 nm and 689 nm), suggesting that more Eu³⁺ ions in the NaTaO₃ host crystal were located at inversion symmetry sites. The maximum intensities of all emission peaks were achieved for the sample grown at 100 °C, in which the gravel-shaped crystallites evolved with a band gap energy of 4.61 eV, chromaticity coordinates of (0.554, 0.434), and average transmittance of 92.4%. These results indicate that the photoluminescence intensity, band gap energy, and color tunability can be achieved for RF-sputtered Eu³⁺-doped NaTaO₃ thin films by varying the growth temperature.