A Transparent Nano-Polycrystalline ZnWO₄ Thin-Film Scintillator for High-Resolution X-ray Imaging

Facile approaches for creating thin-film scintillators with high spatial resolutions and variable shapes are required to broaden the applicability of high-resolution X-ray imaging. In this study, a transparent nano-polycrystalline ZnWO₄ thin-film scintillator was fabricated by thermal evaporation for high-resolution X-ray imaging. The scintillator is composed of nano-sized grains smaller than the optical wavelength range to minimize optical scattering. The high transparency of the scintillators affords a sufficiently high spatial resolution to resolve the 2 μm line and space patterns when used in a high-resolution X-ray imaging system with an effective pixel size of 650 nm. The thermal evaporation method is a convenient approach for depositing thin and uniform films on complex substrates. ZnWO₄ thin-film scintillators with various shapes, such as pixelated and curved, were fabricated via thermal evaporation. The results show that the transparent nano-polycrystalline ZnWO₄ thin-film scintillator deposited through thermal evaporation has a potential for use in various high-resolution X-ray imaging applications.