METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SCINTILLATING CRYSTAL AND PRODUCTS MADE THEREOF Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC C30B15/04 C30B29/34 C30B33/00 C30B33/02 C30B31/06 C09K11/77 C09K11/78 C09K11/79 G01T1/202 

FIELD: crystals.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the technology for producing scintillating materials for use in nuclear physics, scintillation modules of colliders, computer photofluorography, and three-dimensional positron emission computed tomography. Method for producing scintillating crystals based on a silicate containing lutetium Lu, including the stages of (1) pre-preparing charge of the composition in accordance with the chemical formula of the compound Ce_0.002Lu_1.947Ca_0.001Y_0.05SiO_4.999, (2) subsequently growing single crystals from the resulting charge according to the Czochralski method, wherein: (a) a crystal with a diameter of 60 to 100 mm is grown using 70 to 85% of the initial melt to prevent strain and to increase the diameter of the iridium crucible during crystallisation of the residual melt; (b) polished rods with a cross-section in the range of 0.5×0.5 to 4×4 mm² and a length in the range of 10 to 30 mm, as well as polished plates with a thickness of 0.5 to 5 mm, are cut out and made of the grown crystals; (c) the polished rods and plates are annealed in air at 1,100 °C for 12 h in order to eliminate stresses in the crystal lattice caused by cutting and polishing the surfaces; (d) the polished rods and plates are alloyed with hydrogen by annealing in a hydrogen-containing gas atmosphere, in particular, in a mixture of argon with 5 to 10% H₂ at 1,100 to 1,200 °C for 12 to 24 h in order to reduce the scintillation time from 36–38 ns to 20–32 ns; (e) the powdered Ce_0.002Lu_1.947Ca_0.001Y_0.05SiO_4.999 formed in the process of cutting the crystal boule into rods and plates is collected by recycling liquid, in particular, water, to chemically extract lutetium oxide Lu₂O₃ and reuse in growing crystals.

EFFECT: resulting crystals have a fast scintillation time and high spatial resolution, i.e., have a potential to be used as materials for gamma-ray detectors of submillimeter resolution with a reduction in the cost of production thereof.

2 cl, 7 dwg, 1 tbl, 7 ex