Abstract
A new polycrystalline ceramic scintillator is reported for potential use in radiation detection and medical imaging applications. The goal was to develop cerium‐activated aluminum oxynitride (AlON:Ce3+) ceramics, which can be produced using ceramic processes in comparison to the high‐cost, low‐yield single‐crystal growth technique. A phase pure AlON:Ce3+ powder with cubic symmetry was successfully synthesized at high temperature under a reducing atmosphere to convert Ce4+ to Ce3+ in the solid solution. Two different activator concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 mol%) were explored. Fully dense and transparent AlON:Ce3+ ceramics were produced by a liquid‐phase‐assisted pressureless sintering. The crystal field splitting around the Ce3+ activator in the AlON was comparable to the splitting induced by Br− and the Cl− ligands, which produced an emission spectrum perfectly matching the maximum quantum efficiency range of the photomultiplier tube for radiation detection. Both optical excitation and radiation ionizations in AlON:Ce3+ were demonstrated. Challenges and mechanisms related to the radioluminescence efficiency are discussed.
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