Growth and scintillation properties of Ce 3+:LuAG–Al2O3 chemically deposited eutectics

Directionally solidified eutectics (DSEs) in Al2O3-based systems have been studied as high-temperature structural ceramics, also recently attracting attention as a phosphor screen for high-resolution radiation imaging. However, it is difficult to obtain uniform and thinly processed DSE in large areas. Here, we report a chemically deposited eutectic (CDE) of Lu3Al5O12 (LuAG)–Al2O3 using a laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The Ce3+-doped LuAG lamella were epitaxially grew with an α-Al2O3 matrix on an r-cut sapphire substrate. The Ce3+:LuAG–α-Al2O3 CDE film exhibited green emissions due to the 5d–4f transitions of the Ce3+ center under UV light and α-/X-ray irradiations. The α-ray dose in the Ce3+:LuAG phase was estimated with Monte Carlo simulations to study a scintillation light yield of the CDE film. The X-ray radiograph of the semiconductor storage device was successfully obtained using a 15-μm-thick Ce3+:LuAG–α-Al2O3 CDE film as an X-ray phosphor screen. •Chemically deposited eutectics in LuAG–Al2O3 pseudobinary system.•α-Al2O3 epitaxial growth with LuAG lamellar growth on sapphire.•TEM and EBSD reveals orientation distribution of LuAG with maintaining interface orientation to α-Al2O3.•Monte Carlo simulation of α-ray dose explains the observed light yield of CDE.•X-ray radiograph using 15 μm-thick Ce3+:LuAG–Al2O3 CDE film as X-ray phosphor screen.