Patents Assigned to Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
  • Patent number: 8034258
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic scintillator material of formula Lu(2-y)Y(y-z-x) CexMzSi(1-v)M?vO5, in which: M represents a divalent alkaline earth metal and M? represents a trivalent metal, (z+v) being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than or equal to 0.2; z being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2; v being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2; x being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than 0.1; and y ranging from (x+z) to 1. In particular, this material may equip scintillation detectors for applications in industry, for the medical field (scanners) and/or for detection in oil drilling. The presence of Ca in the crystal reduces the afterglow, while stopping power for high-energy radiation remains high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventors: Bernard Ferrand, Bruno Viana, Ludivine Pidol, Pieter Dorenbos
  • Patent number: 8030101
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a low defect density GaN material comprising at least two steps of growing epitaxial layers of GaN with differences in growing conditions, (a.) a first step of growing an epitaxial layer GaN on an epitaxially competent layer under first growing conditions selected to induce island features formation, followed by (b.) a second step of growing an epitaxial layer of GaN under second growing conditions selected to enhance lateral growth until coalescence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventors: Eric Frayssinet, Bernard Beaumont, Jean-Pierre Faurie, Pierre Gibart
  • Patent number: 8021636
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a polycrystalline block of a halide of formula AeLnfX(3f+e) in which Ln represents one or more rare earths, X represents one or more halogen atoms selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and I, and A represents one or more alkali metals selected from the group consisting of K, Li, Na, Rb and Cs, e, which may be zero, being less than or equal to 3f, and f being greater than or equal to 1, having a low water and oxyhalide content, in which the method comprises heating a mixture of, on the one hand, at least one compound having at least one Ln—X bond and, on the other hand, a sufficient amount of NH4X in order to obtain the oxyhalide content, resulting in a molten mass comprising the rare-earth halide, the heating being followed by cooling, and the heating, after having reached 300° C., never going below 200° C. before the molten mass has been obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventor: Alain Iltis
  • Patent number: 7889842
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crystalline lithium fluoride doped with at least 0.018 mol per kg of a divalent positive ion M present in the fluoride state, in particular of the single-crystal type. The ion may be Mg2+, Zn2+ or Co2+. This fluoride has a high reflectivity and intense radiation that can emanate therefrom may be effectively received by a fast light scintillator, especially of the rare-earth halide type. It is particularly useful as a monochromator for X-ray fluorescence radiation for the purpose of elemental analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux Et Detecteurs
    Inventors: Guillaume Gautier, Philippe Derouineau
  • Publication number: 20110017914
    Abstract: The invention concerns an ionizing radiation detector comprising a housing containing: an avalanche photodiode in contact, through its photosensitive face, with the scintillator material via optical coupling, a preamplifier of the electrical signal from the avalanche photodiode. This detector is compact, portable, and very robust. It detects X-rays or gamma rays with excellent resolution, which can be less than 3% at 662 keV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventors: Jeremy Flamanc, Guillaume Gautier
  • Publication number: 20110017911
    Abstract: A scintillator material comprises a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment. In an embodiment, the scintillator material is used in an ionizing-radiation detector, and in particular embodiment, a gamma camera. The layer can adhere well and act as an absorbent or reflector depending on the color of the pigment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventors: Jeremy Flamanc, Peter R. Menge
  • Patent number: 7767975
    Abstract: An ionizing radiation detector comprising a housing includes a scintillator material, an avalanche photodiode in contact with the scintillator material via optical coupling, and a preamplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventors: Jérémy Flamanc, Guillaume Gautier
  • Publication number: 20100098613
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a polycrystalline block of a halide of formula AeLnfX(3f+e) in which Ln represents one or more rare earths, X represents one or more halogen atoms selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and I, and A represents one or more alkali metals selected from the group consisting of K, Li, Na, Rb and Cs, e, which may be zero, being less than or equal to 3f, and f being greater than or equal to 1, having a low water and oxyhalide content, in which the method comprises heating a mixture of, on the one hand, at least one compound having at least one Ln-X bond and, on the other hand, a sufficient amount of NH4X in order to obtain the oxyhalide content, resulting in a molten mass comprising the rare-earth halide, the heating being followed by cooling, and the heating, after having reached 300° C., never going below 200° C. before the molten mass has been obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventor: Alain Iltis
  • Publication number: 20100065778
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic scintillator material of formula Lu(2-y)Y (y-z-x) CexMzSi (1-v) M? vO5, in which: M represents a divalent alkaline earth metal and M? represents a trivalent metal, (z+v) being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than or equal to 0.2; z being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2; v being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2; x being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than 0.1; and y ranging from (x+z) to 1. In particular, this material may equip scintillation detectors for applications in industry, for the medical field (scanners) and/or for detection in oil drilling. The presence of Ca in the crystal reduces the afterglow, while stopping power for high-energy radiation remains high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventors: Bernard Ferrand, Bruno Viana, Ludivine Pidol, Pieter Dorenbos
  • Patent number: 7670578
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a polycrystalline block of a halide of formula AeLnfX(3f+e) in which Ln represents one or more rare earths, X represents one or more halogen atoms selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and I, and A represents one or more alkali metals selected from the group consisting of K, Li, Na, Rb and Cs, e, which may be zero, being less than or equal to 3f, and f being greater than or equal to 1, having a low water and oxyhalide content, in which the method comprises heating a mixture of, on the one hand, at least one compound having at least one Ln—X bond and, on the other hand, a sufficient amount of NH4X in order to obtain the oxyhalide content, resulting in a molten mass comprising the rare-earth halide, the heating being followed by cooling, and the heating, after having reached 300° C., never going below 200° C. before the molten mass has been obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventor: Alain Iltis
  • Patent number: 7608201
    Abstract: Inorganic scintillator material of formula AnLnpX(3p+n) in which has a very low nuclear background noise and is particularly suitable as a detector scintillator for coating weight or thickness measurements, in the fields of nuclear medicine, physics, chemistry and oil exploration, and for the detection of dangerous or illicit materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventor: Alain Iltis
  • Publication number: 20090246495
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a single crystal comprising a rare-earth halide, having improved machining or cleavage behaviour, comprising heat treatment in a furnace, the atmosphere of which is brought, for at least 1 hour, to between 0.70 times Tm and 0.995 times Tm of a single crystal comprising a rare-earth halide, Tm representing the melting point of said single crystal, the temperature gradient at any point in the atmosphere of the furnace being less than 15 K/cm for said heat treatment. After carrying out the treatment according to the invention, the single crystals may be machined or cleaved without uncontrolled fracture. The single crystals may be used in a medical imaging device, especially a positron emission tomography system or a gamma camera or a CT scanner, for crude oil exploration, for detection and identification of fissile or radioactive materials, for nuclear and high-energy physics, for astrophysics or for industrial control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventors: Dominique Richaud, Alain Iltis, Vladimir Ouspenski
  • Publication number: 20090140153
    Abstract: The invention concerns an ionizing radiation detector comprising a housing containing: a scintillator material, an avalanche photodiode in contact with the scintillator material via optical coupling, a preamplifier. This detector is compact, portable, and very robust. It detects X-rays or gamma rays with excellent resolution, which can be less than 3% at 662 keV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventors: Jeremy Flamanc, Guillaume Gautier
  • Publication number: 20080044075
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crystalline lithium fluoride doped with at least 0.018 mol per kg of a divalent positive ion M present in the fluoride state, in particular of the single-crystal type. The ion may be Mg2+, Zn2+ or Co2+. This fluoride has a high reflectivity and intense radiation that can emanate therefrom may be effectively received by a fast light scintillator, especially of the rare-earth halide type. It is particularly useful as a monochromator for X-ray fluorescence radiation for the purpose of elemental analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventors: Guillaume Gautier, Philippe Derouineau
  • Patent number: 7332028
    Abstract: The invention relates to the handling of a composition comprising a rare-earth halide, especially within the context of the growth of crystals from said composition, said crystals generally being of formula AeLnfX(3f+e) in which Ln represents one or more rare earths, X represents one or more halogen atoms chosen from Cl, Br or I, and A represents one or more alkaline metals such as K, Li, Na, Rb or Cs, e and f representing values such that e, which may be zero, is less than or equal to 2f and f is greater than or equal to 1. It is possible in this way to grow single crystals exhibiting remarkable scintillation properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventors: Alain Iltis, Vladimir Ouspenski
  • Publication number: 20070241284
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic scintillator material of formula AnLnpX(3p+n) in which Ln represents one or more rare earths, X represents one or more halogen atoms, chosen from F, Cl, Br or I, and A represents one or more alkali metals, such as K, Li, Na, Rb or Cs, n and p representing values such that n, which may be zero, is less than or equal to 2p, and that p is greater than or equal to 1, its content of daughter elements of uranium and thorium being low enough for the activity resulting from the alpha radiation from these elements to be less than 0.7 Bq/cc. This material has a very low nuclear background noise and is particularly suitable as a detector scintillator for coating weight or thickness measurements, in the fields of nuclear medicine, physics, chemistry and oil exploration, and for the detection of dangerous or illicit materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN CRISTAUX ET DETECTEURS
    Inventor: Alain Iltis
  • Publication number: 20070209581
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic scintillator material of formula Lu(2?y)Y(y?x)CexMzSi(1?v)M?vO5, in which: M represents a divalent alkaline earth metal and M? represents a trivalent metal, (z+v) being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than or equal to 0.2, z being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2; v being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2, x being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than 0.1; and v ranging from (x+z) to 1. In particular, this material may equip scintillation detectors for applications in industry, for the medical field (scanners) and/or for detection in oil drilling, The presence of Ca in the crystal reduces the afterglow, while stopping power for high-energy radiation remains high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
    Inventors: Bernard Ferrand, Bruno Viana, Ludivine Pidol, Pieter Dorenbos