Bright and Fast Sensor for Time Resolved X-Ray Diffraction Studies

描述(申请人提供)：同步辐射光源最近的非凡发展使强大的研究技术得以发展，例如用于理解动态生物现象和恢复X射线结晶学中的相信息的时间分辨X射线衍射研究。然而，为了最有效地利用这些先进的同步加速器资源进行重要的蛋白质研究，需要新的、高效的、高通量的探测器。这种探测器将提高分子模型的质量，分子模型是大分子结晶学过程的最终产物。为了实现这一目标，已经开发了几种基于新设计的电荷耦合器件的新型读数。然而，目前的X射线-光转换器提供低的光转换效率、低的X射线吸收以及空间分辨率和效率之间的折衷，大大限制了这些功能强大的设备的性能。为了解决这些问题，我们建议开发一种新型的半导体闪烁体，它有望产生比已知最明亮的闪烁体高三倍的光产额，由于其高密度和高有效原子序数而具有高X射线吸收，快速衰减而没有任何余辉，在最适合于CCD型器件的波长范围内发射，并且比目前的闪烁体具有数量级的抗辐射能力。除了这种新的和先进的闪烁体的出色闪烁特性外，它还将被制造成微柱状的形式，这将提供非常高的空间分辨率。当与合适的读数相结合时，这种闪烁体将能够实现重要的时间分辨X射线衍射和其他研究所需的高速、大面积、高分辨率探测器。拟议的第一阶段研究的目标是证明利用RMD开发和验证的气相沉积制造技术在所描述的微柱状结构中开发新型闪烁体的可行性。制备完成后，将对薄膜的形貌、闪烁性能、光学性能和RMD下的成像性能进行详细的表征。然后，薄膜将被集成到RMD专门开发的高速读取器中，并在位于伊利诺伊州芝加哥阿贡国家实验室的高级光子源(APS)的BioCAT光束线上进行评估，以展示其与当前最先进的闪烁体屏幕相比的性能优势。在拟议的第一阶段/第二阶段研究期间，我们将努力通过我们自己的资源并与我们的商业合作伙伴合作，成功地开发和销售这些屏幕。闪烁体具有非常明亮的发射、高空间分辨率、高X射线吸收效率和快速衰减时间而没有余辉，应用范围广泛-从大分子结晶学到医学成像，从无损检测到聚合物研究。因此，这种传感器的商业潜力特别大。我们和我们在APS的合作者相信，由于其非凡的特性，这种闪烁体将在许多重要的同步加速器应用中得到广泛使用。这项拟议的研究将开发和评估一种独特的闪烁体，它将提供比最亮的商业闪烁体高三倍的光，光谱中红色区域的发射，高密度和高有效原子序数，快速衰减时间而没有余辉，以及比目前最好的闪烁体高出数量级的抗辐射能力。这种传感器的出现将使许多至关重要的生物学研究所需的高速X射线成像探测器技术取得进步，例如大分子的静态和时间分辨散射。反过来，这将有助于解决重要的“蛋白质折叠问题”和研究模型膜系统中的相变，了解这些相变对于许多生物技术应用至关重要，例如设计各种药物输送系统。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent extraordinary developments in synchrotron radiation sources have enabled the growth of powerful research techniques such as time-resolved X-ray diffraction studies for understanding dynamic biological phenomena and recovering phase information in X-ray crystallography. To make the most effective use of these advanced synchrotron sources for important protein studies, however, new, efficient, high- throughput detectors are needed. Such detectors will enhance the quality of the molecular model, which is the end product of the macromolecular crystallography process. Toward achieving this goal, several novel readouts based on new designs of charge-coupled devices have been developed. However, current X-ray-to- light converters that provide low light conversion efficiency, low X-ray absorption, and a tradeoff between spatial resolution and efficiency significantly limit the performance of these powerful devices. To address these issues, we propose to develop a novel semiconductor scintillator that promises to produce as much as a three-fold increase in light yield over the known brightest scintillators, high X-ray absorption due to its high density and high effective atomic number, a fast decay without any afterglow, emission in the wavelength range that is most suitable for CCD-type devices, and orders of magnitude higher radiation resistance than current scintillators. Beyond the excellent scintillation properties of this new and advanced scintillator, it will be fabricated in a microcolumnar form, which will provide very high spatial resolution. When combined with a suitable readout, this scintillator will enable realization of the high speed, large area, high resolution detectors needed for important time-resolved X-ray diffraction and other studies. The goal of the proposed Phase I research is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing the novel scintillator in the described microcolumnar structure using vapor deposition fabrication techniques developed and proven by RMD. After fabrication, the films will be characterized in detail in terms of their morphology, scintillation properties, optical properties and imaging performance at RMD. Films will then be integrated into a specially developed high-speed readout by RMD and evaluated at the BioCAT beam line at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, IL, to demonstrate their performance superiority compared to current state-of-the-art scintillator screens. During the proposed Phase I/Phase II research, we will undertake efforts to successfully develop and market these screens through our own resources and in collaboration with our commercial partners. Applications of a scintillator with very bright emission, high spatial resolution, high X-ray absorption efficiency, and rapid decay time with no afterglow range widely - from macromolecular crystallography to medical imaging, and from nondestructive testing to polymer research. As such, the commercial potential for this sensor is particularly high. We and our collaborators at the APS believe that due to its extraordinary properties, this scintillator will have widespread use in many important synchrotron-based applications. The proposed research will develop and evaluate a unique scintillator that will provide a factor of three higher light than the brightest commercial scintillators, emission in the red region of the spectrum, high density and high effective atomic number, fast decay time with no afterglow, and orders of magnitude higher radiation resistance compared to the best current scintillators. The availability of such a sensor will enable advancements in the high speed X-ray imaging detector technology needed for many critically important biological studies, such as static and time-resolved scattering from macromolecules. In turn, this will facilitate addressing the important "protein folding problem" and the study of phase transitions in model membrane systems, the understanding of which is vital for many biotechnological applications, such as the design of various drug delivery systems.