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Crystal Scintillation Materials

Crystal Scintillation Materials

Saint-Gobain Crystals offers an industry leading variety of scintillation materials for radiation detection and nuclear identification. We also continue to develop new scintillators internally and with outside partners to meet current and future market needs.  We have developed internal raw material chemistry capabilities and growth processes for most of these materials to ensure the highest quality and most consistent results. In addition, unique cutting, shaping and packaging equipment and facilities have been developed.
 

 NaI(Tl) and Polyscin® Sodium Iodide

NaI(Tl) scintillator produces one of the highest signals in a PMT per amount of radiation absorbed. Polyscin® NaI(Tl) crystals are used when thermal and mechanical shock are encountered.

 NaI(Tl+Li)

Co-doped NaI crystal containing Lithium for gamma-ray and neutron dual detection

 CLLB

CLLB (Cs2LiLaBr6(Ce)) is a gamma-neutron scintillation detector and an energy resolution near 4%, CLLB offers a dramatic change in what is capable in a handheld instrument.

 Standard and Enhanced Lanthanum Bromide

LaBr3(Ce) and LaBr3(Ce+Sr) scintillation materials offer superior energy resolution, fast emission, excellent linearity and temperature stability.

 LYSO

LYSO is a Cerium doped lutetium based scintillation crystal that offers high density and a short decay time. It has an improved light output and energy resolution compared to BGO.

 BGO Bismuth Germanate

BGO is a high density scintillation material and is a very efficient gamma ray absorber with very good peak-to-total ratios.

 CsI(Tl) Thallium activated Cesium Iodide

CsI(Tl) is one of the brightest scintillators known, has a light output of 54 photons/keV and an average decay time of about 1µs for γ-rays.

 CsI(Na) Sodium activated Cesium Iodide

CsI(Na) is a relatively soft and plastic material without cleavage plan which makes the material interesting where severe environmental conditions are encountered.

 CsI(Pure) Cesium Iodide Pure

Undoped CsI scintillator can be used for fast timing applications due to its relatively short decay time of 16 ns and emission max at 315 nm

 BaF2 Barium Fluoride

BaF2 yields very fast timing. It is a scintillator showing two wavelengths of emission (310 nm and 295 nm).

 CaF2(Eu) Calcium Fluoride

CaF2(Eu) scintillator is used for detecting charged particles and the ideal material for the detection of beta particles

 CdWO4 Cadmium Tungstate

CdWO4 high density and stopping power make it an efficient absorber, particularly for high energy X-ray. It takes only 3mm to stop up to 150keV photons.

 YAG(Ce) Yttrium Aluminum Garnet

YAG(Ce) is a non-hygroscopic, chemically inert inorganic scintillator. The wavelength of the maximum emission at 550nm is well matched to CCD sensitivity.

 Lithium Glass Scintillators

Glass scintillators are most commonly used for neutron detection since the glasses are often enriched in Lithium-6.
 

Physical Properties of Common Inorganic Scintillators
Scroll right for additonal data →
Scintillator Comments Light yield (photons/keV) Light ouput(%) of NaI(Tl) bialkali pmt Temperature coefficient of light output(%/C) 25oC to 50oC 1/e Decay time(ns) Wavelength of max emission lm(nm) Refractive index at lm Thickness to stop 50% of 662 keV photons (cm) Thermal expansion (/C)x10-6 Cleavage plane Hardness (Mho) Density g/cm3 Hygroscopic Scintillator
LaBr3(Ce+Sr) Ultimate energy resolution (2.2% @ 662keV) 73 190 0 25 385 ~2.0 1.8 8 <100>   5.08 yes LaBr3(Ce+Sr)
BrilLanCe 380
LaBr3(Ce)		 General purpose, excellent energy resolution 63 165 0 16 380 ~1.9 1.8 8 <100>   5.08 yes BrilLanCe 380
LaBr3(Ce)
CLLB,
Cs2LiLaBr6(Ce)		 Dual Gamma-Neutron detection 43 115   180 /1100 420 ~1.85 2.2 --     4.2 yes CLLB,
Cs2LiLaBr6(Ce)
NaI(Tl) General purpose, good energy resolution 38 100 -0.3 250 415 1.85 2.5 47.4 <100> 2 3.67 yes NaI(Tl)
NaI(Tl+Li) Neutron-Gamma Scintillator 35 100 -0.3

240, 1.4 μs
230. 1.1μs

 419 1.85 2.5 47.4 <100> 2 3.67 yes NaI(Tl+Li)
Engineered LYSO
Lu1.8Y.2SiO5(Ce)
 Bright, high Z, fast, dense, background from 176Lu activity 33 87 -0.28 36 420 1.81 1.1 -- none   7.1 no Engineered LYSO Lu1.8Y.2SiO5(Ce)
CdWO4 Low afterglow, for use with photodioides 12-15 30-50 -0.1 14000 475 ~2.3 1 10.2 <010> 4-4.5

7.9

 no CdWO4
CsI(Tl) High Z, rugged, good match to photodiodes 54 45 0.01 1000 550 1.79 2 54 none 2 4.51 slightly CsI(Tl)
CsI(Na) High Z, rugged 41 85 -0.05 630 420 1.84 2 54 none 2 4.51 yes CsI(Na)
BGO High Z, compact detector, low afterglow 8 - 10 20 -1.2 300 480 2.15 1 7 none 5 7.13 no BGO
CaF2(Eu) Low Z, a & b detection 19 50 -0.33 940 435 1.47 2.9 19.5 <111> 4 3.18 no CaF2(Eu)
YAG(Ce) b-ray, X-ray counting, electron microscopy 8 15 -- 70 550 1.82 2 ~8 none 8.5 4.55 no YAG(Ce)
CsI(Pure) High Z, fast emission 2 4-6 -0.3 16 315 1.95 2 54 none 2 4.51 slightly CsI(Pure)

BaF2		 Fast component (subnanosecond) 1.8 3 0 0.6-0.8 220(195) 1.54 1.9 18.4 <111> 3 4.88 slightly
BaF2
Slow component 10 16 -1.1 630 310 1.50 1.9 18.4 <111> 3 4.88 slightly
ZnS(Ag) Coated on BC-400 scintillator or UVT acrylic for Alpha detection ~50 130 -0.6 110 450 2.36 -- -- -- -- 4.09 no ZnS(Ag)
The data presented are believed to be correct but are not guaranteed to be so.

Please see individual data sheets for full details

Click here to download Physical Properties Chart