Ultra-high resolution radiography using CR-39 solid state track detectors and atomic force microscopy

Abstract

We have developed an ultra-high resolution charged particle radiography technique using CR-39 solid state track detectors and an atomic force microscope (AFM). Very small etch pits about 80 nm in diameter were measured with the AFM. We planned to apply this technique to high resolution autoradiography. Such practical applications often require accurate positioning between the sample mounted on a CR-39 detector and particle tracks recorded in the CR-39 in order to determine the radiation dose distribution inside the sample. As a fiducial marker for the positioning, aluminum patterns were deposited on the CR-39 surface using a photolithography technique. The aluminum patterns were dissolved through a typical etching process for CR-39 detectors and pattern-shaped steps were left on the surface. Using these patterns should ensure accurate positioning between the sample and the etch pits in autoradiography. This method provides a new technique for radiation imaging of biological samples at a subcellular scale.