Physics and Engineering of Radiation Detection

358 Chapter 6. Scintillation Detectors and Photodetectors

C.5 Cadmium Tungstate (CWO)

CdWO 4 or simplyCWOis not as widely used asGBOeven though it has the
following desirable properties.

Significantly higher light yield thanBGO.


Low intrinsic background.

Low afterglow.
The main problem withCWOis its large decay time, which makes it unsuit-
able for most applications. However it has been successfully used in low radiation
spectroscopic applications such as spectrometry of very low activity radioactive sub-
stances.

C.6 Lead Tungstate (PWO)

PbWO 4 or simplyPWO, with the following properties, is generally used in high
radiation fields.

Fast response.

High resistance to radiation induced damage.


Fast decay time, and

Very low radiation length.
Lead tungstate is highly suitable for high radiation fields due to its extremely
fast response and radiation hardness. It is mechanically stable and can be cut and
shaped according to requirements. Its research and development has been mostly
geared towards applications in high energy physics.

C.7 Cerium Doped Gadolinium Silicate (GSO)

Gd 2 SiO 5 :Ceor simplyGSOhas the following characteristics.

Fast response.

Good temperature stability.
The main drawback ofGSOis its relatively low light yield ( 8,000 photons per
MeV) while its biggest advantage is its high temperature stability. Because of this
it can be used in environments where small fluctuations in temperature can not be
avoided.

C.8 Cerium Doped Lutetium Aluminum Garnet (LuAG:Ce)

The chemical composition ofLuAG:CeisLu 3 Al 5 O 7 :Ce. Its advantages include

fast pulse decay.

emission wavelength suitable for most photodiodes,


high density,