Crystal Growth of New Radiation Detector Materials in Microgravity

RMD proposes to conduct a series of crystal growth experiments on the International Space Station in the SUBSA furnace inside the MSG glovebox to grow crystals of new materials that have shown a good radiation detector response and present a commercial interest. There is a great demand for spectroscopic gamma-ray detectors capable of not only detecting presence and intensity of radiation, but also distinguishing the energy of an emitting isotope with high resolution. Another market is for solid-state neutron detection and dosimetry, where crystals can replace the difficult to obtain 3He gas. RMD is currently researching several detector crystals that have been developed to that stage: TlBr, SrI2:Eu, and 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA). These are detector materials of different types for specific applications: TlBr is a semiconductor for gamma-ray detection, SrI2:Eu is a scintillator for gamma-ray detection, and DPA is an organic scintillator for neutron detection. Crystal growth of these materials presents a number of challenges which limit the yield of high quality crystals or degrade their detector properties. The proposed microgravity research project will focus on developing a better understanding of the mechanisms that govern defect formation during crystal growth of these materials, and correlating those mechanisms to detector properties. RMD assembled a strong team of experts with significant experience in crystal growth and materials research in microgravity, who are very familiar with the equipment to be utilized for this project. Despite whether our hypotheses are confirmed or disproven, this series of crystal growth experiments in microgravity would allow us to determine which process parameters have the largest impact on quality and yield without interference from convection, in order to focus on optimization of those parameters, for improved production on Earth.

In the area of Space Sciences, SrI2 crystals are advantageous because of their unique combination of sensitivity, energy resolution, and radio-purity. SrI2 detectors are currently under development for a next-generation γ-ray telescope and have been proposed for future planetary science missions. 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) crystals are being applied for space weather monitoring because of their ability to effectively discriminate between different high energy particles, such as protons and electrons. Neutron dosimetry is another area of application for DPA because it can measure neutron energy and discriminate it from other types of radiation.

Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (RMD) proposes to conduct a series of crystal growth experiments on the International Space Station in the SUBSA furnace inside the MSG glovebox to grow crystals of new materials that have shown a good radiation detector response and present a commercial potential. There is a large demand for spectroscopic gamma-ray detectors capable of not only detecting the presence and intensity of radiation, but also distinguishing the energy of an emitting isotope with high resolution. An additional market is for solid-state neutron detection and dosimetry, where crystals can replace the difficult to obtain 3He gas. RMD is currently performing research on several detector crystals, including TlBr, SrI2:Eu, and 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA). TlBr is a semiconductor for gamma-ray detection, SrI2:Eu is a scintillator for gamma-ray detection, and DPA is an organic scintillator for neutron detection. All three of these scintillators will be an excellent fit for personal Radiation Detectors (PRD), Spectroscopic Radiation Detectors (SPRD), and in Radioisotope Identification Devices (RIIDs). N-tech Research estimates that the revenue generated by PRD/SPRDs was approximately $329 million in 2013 and should grow at a CAGR of 4 percent to reach $437 million by 2020. They also estimate that the market for RIIDs was $591 million in 2013 and will grow at a CAGR of 5 percent to $836 million in 2020.

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