Thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence response of Al2O3 coatings deposited by mist-chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is a widely used ceramic material which can be applied as a protective coating on metallic structures to improve corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. Al2O3 also has great potential as a functional thin film device in optoelectronics. When it is doped with carbon (Al2O3:C), this material system can serve as a reliable radiation dosimeter. The combination of optoelectronic, dosimetric, and protective properties demonstrated by Al2O3 uniquely positions it for dual use applications in nuclear forensics, nonproliferation and safeguards, emergency response, retrospective dosimetry, and nondestructive inspection. In this study, an innovative ultrasonic mist-chemical vapor deposition (Mist-CVD) system was used to deposit thin (nm level) Al2O3 coatings on 304 stainless steel substrates. The single aliquot regeneration (SAR) and additive dose reconstruction techniques were then used to investigate the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) response of the coated substrates to increasing doses of β irradiation. This study demonstrates that nm-thick Al2O3 coatings hold promise as novel nano-dosimeters which could be leveraged for a series of applications such as nonproliferation and safeguards, retrospective dosimetry, and nondestructive inspection.