Current generator, incident amount measuring device, and method for manufacturing a current generator

Abstract

The objective is to prevent adverse effects on the power generator by forming the conversion film, or to allow for easy adjustment or modification of the dimensions of the conversion film, when a current generating device that generates a current corresponding to the amount of incident radiation in order to measure the amount of incident radiation is composed of a conversion film that converts incident radiation into another type of radiation and a power generator that generates a current by the incidence of the other type of radiation. [Solution] The current generator 10 comprises a conversion film 1 that converts incident radiation into another type of radiation, a film holding member 2 on which the conversion film 1 is formed, and a power generator 3 that generates an electric current when another type of radiation is incident on it. The film holding member 2 is attached to the power generator 3 such that the conversion film 1 is in close proximity to the surface of the power generator 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a current generating device that generates a current corresponding to a predetermined incident amount of incident radiation and a method for manufacturing the same. The present invention also relates to an incident amount measuring device including the current generating device.

Background Art

[0002] An incident amount measuring device that measures the incident amount (number) of neutrons as incident radiation is used to measure the incident amount of neutrons at a predetermined measurement location in the fields of medical treatment and non-destructive inspection using neutrons, as well as in industrial facilities (e.g., nuclear power generation facilities) where neutrons are generated.

[0003] It is described in Patent Document 1 below that a neutron ray detection device, which is such an incident amount measuring device, is configured using a solar cell (power generation body). The neutron ray detection device of Patent Document 1 forms a conversion film that converts incident neutron rays into charged particles or photons on the surface of the solar cell (the surface of the electrode layer). With this configuration, the conversion film converts incident neutrons into charged particles or photons, and the solar cell generates a current due to the incident charged particles or photons, and calculates the flux of the neutron rays based on the generated current.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when forming the conversion film on the surface of the power generation body (solar cell), there is a possibility of adversely affecting the power generation body.

[0006] For example, when a conversion film made of a conductive material (e.g., gadolinium, aluminum, etc.) is formed on the surface of a solar cell (the surface of the electrode layer) by electrostatic coating, there is a possibility that the conductive material may adhere to the side of the power generation element and short-circuit the solar cell. In other words, a solar cell has two electrode layers with a light-absorbing layer in between, but there is a possibility that the conductive material may adhere to the side of the solar cell and short-circuit the two electrode layers.

[0007] In another example, in electrostatic coating, the conversion film material can be attached to the surface of the power generator using static electricity, and then the material can be dried by heating it to a predetermined temperature (e.g., around 100°C) to form the conversion film. However, if the power generator does not have heat resistance, the power generator (e.g., a perovskite solar cell) will be damaged by the heat.

[0008] Furthermore, it is desirable to be able to easily adjust the dimensions of the conversion film attached to the power generator. For example, it is desirable to be able to easily adjust or change the dimensions of the conversion film even after it has been formed.

[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to make it possible to avoid adverse effects on the power generator by forming a conversion film, or to allow the dimensions of the conversion film to be easily adjusted or changed, when a current generating device that generates a current corresponding to the amount of incident radiation in order to measure the amount of incident radiation is composed of a conversion film that converts incident radiation into another type of radiation and a power generator that generates a current by the incidence of the other type of radiation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A current generating device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a device that generates a current corresponding to a predetermined amount of incident radiation in order to measure the amount of said incident radiation, A conversion membrane that converts the incident radiation into another type of radiation, A film holding member on which the conversion film is formed, The system comprises a power generator that generates an electric current when the aforementioned other radiation is incident upon it, The film holding member is attached to the power generation body such that the conversion film is in close proximity to the surface of the power generation body.

[0011] An incident amount measuring device according to a second aspect of the present invention is: The above-mentioned current generator, The system includes a processing device that determines the amount of incident radiation based on the value of the current measured by the current measuring instrument.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a current generator that generates a current corresponding to a predetermined amount of incident radiation in order to measure the amount of incident radiation, (A) A conversion film is formed on the surface of the film-holding member to convert incident radiation into another type of radiation. (B) The film holding member is attached to the power generator such that the conversion film is in close proximity to the surface of the power generator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, after forming the conversion film on the film holding member, the film holding member can be attached to the power generation body so that the conversion film is in close proximity to the surface of the current generating member. This makes it possible to avoid, for example, adverse effects on the current generating member due to the formation of the conversion film.

[0014] Furthermore, instead of fabricating a component consisting solely of the conversion film, the conversion film is formed on the film-holding component, making the formation of the conversion film easier. For example, the effect of the film-supporting component allows a conversion film coated and attached with powder, or a conversion film deposited by vapor deposition, to be supported in a desired shape, including the desired film thickness and area.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, if a conversion film is formed on a sheet-like film-holding member, a conversion film (sheet) of the desired dimensions (area) can be obtained simply by cutting the sheet-like film-holding member (i.e., a sheet consisting of the conversion film and the film-holding member). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1A] It is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of the current generator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] Fig. 1A shows a state in which the film holding member is attached to the power generation body. [Figure 2] It is a partially enlarged view of Fig. 1B. [Figure 3A] It is a plan view showing a state in which the power generation body and the film holding member are housed in the case. [Figure 3B] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3B-3B of Fig. 3A. [Figure 3C] Fig. 3B shows a state in which the lid member is removed from the case. [Figure 4] The incident amount measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing a manufacturing method of the current generator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] The main part of the current generator according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view of the current generator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] The incident amount measuring device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view showing the current generator according to Modification 1. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view showing the current generator according to Modification 2. [Figure 11] It is another cross-sectional view showing the current generator according to Modification 2. <于000 [Figure 12] The results of measuring the incident amounts of various incident radiations are shown.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the common parts, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0018] [First Embodiment] Figures 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing the main parts of a current generator 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1A is an exploded view, and Figure 1B shows the state in which the film holding member 2, described later, is attached to the power generator 3. The current generator 10 is a device that generates a current corresponding to the amount of incident radiation (hereinafter simply referred to as incident radiation) of the object to be measured. That is, the amount of incident radiation of the object to be measured can be determined based on the value of the current generated by the current generator 10. Such a current generator 10 constitutes an incident radiation amount measuring device 20, as will be described later.

[0019] The current generator 10 comprises a conversion film 1, a film holding member 2, a power generator 3, a case 4, a lid member 5, a filling member 6, wiring 7, a current measuring instrument 8, and a display unit 9.

[0020] The conversion film 1 converts incident radiation into other radiation (hereinafter simply referred to as other radiation). In this application, each of the incident radiation and the other radiation means radiation in a broad sense, and includes particle radiation and electromagnetic waves. The particle beam may be, for example, a neutron, electron beam, alpha particle (alpha ray), beta particle (beta ray), ion beam (e.g., proton), or lithium nucleus. The electromagnetic wave may be, for example, a gamma ray. In the embodiment, the incident radiation is a neutron, and the other radiation may be an alpha particle, beta particle, gamma ray, proton, or lithium nucleus.

[0021] The conversion film 1 may contain boron (B), gadolinium (Gd), or lithium (Li). When the incident radiation is neutron radiation, for example, a conversion film 1 made of a material containing boron converts the incident neutron radiation into alpha rays (alpha rays and lithium nuclei), a conversion film 1 made of a material containing gadolinium converts the incident neutrons into gamma rays, and a conversion film 1 made of lithium converts the incident neutrons into alpha rays. The conversion film 1 may be a nitride film, fluoride film, oxide film, or other compound thin film of lithium, boron, or gadolinium. Alternatively, the conversion film 1 may contain a mixture of any element from lithium, boron, and gadolinium with a lithium compound, a boron compound, or a gadolinium compound. In such a conversion film 1, an incident neutron reacts with one of the elements lithium, boron, or gadolinium within the conversion film 1 to generate particle radiation or electromagnetic waves, which may be at least one of the following: alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, protons, or lithium nuclei.

[0022] A conversion film 1 is formed on the film holding member 2. The conversion film 1 is integrally bonded to the film holding member 2. The film holding member 2 may be a sheet-like member, and the conversion film 1 is formed on one surface in the thickness direction of the sheet-like film holding member 2 (for example, the entire surface).

[0023] The film-holding member 2 may have the conversion film 1 formed on it, for example, by an electrostatic coating method. That is, by using static electricity to attach the material for the conversion film 1 to the surface of the film-holding member 2, the conversion film 1 is formed by drying the material by heating it to a predetermined temperature (for example, about 100°C). Therefore, the film-holding member 2 has heat resistance to this heating. For example, the film-holding member 2 has a heat resistance temperature of at least 80°C, 100°C, 120°C, or 150°C.

[0024] Such a film-holding member 2 may be made of plastic (e.g., polyimide), aluminum, glass, or other material. For example, a sheet-like film-holding member 2 may be a plastic film (e.g., polyimide film), aluminum foil, or a glass plate.

[0025] The sheet-like film-holding member 2 has a thickness that absorbs almost no incident neutrons. If the sheet-like film-holding member 2 is made of a material that does not contain hydrogen, which reacts with neutrons, the thickness of the sheet-like film-holding member 2 (e.g., aluminum foil, aluminum plate, glass plate) may be 1 mm or less. In this case, the thickness of the film-holding member 2 that is an aluminum plate or glass plate may be 0.1 mm or more and 1 mm or less, and the thickness of the film-holding member 2 that is aluminum foil may be 0.01 mm or more and 1 mm or less. If the sheet-like film-holding member 2 is made of a material that contains hydrogen, the thickness of the sheet-like film-holding member 2 (e.g., polyimide film) is preferably 0.3 mm or less. In this case, the thickness of the film-holding member 2 that is polyimide film may be 0.01 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less.

[0026] On the other hand, the thickness of the conversion film 1 formed on the film holding member 2 may be 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, or 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less. This makes it possible to suppress the attenuation of the other radiation generated in the conversion film 1 within the conversion film 1. In addition, if the amount of incident radiation to be measured is large, the thickness of the conversion film 1 may be less than 1 μm, for example, 0.001 μm or more and less than 1 μm, so that the current generated in the power generator 3 does not saturate.

[0027] The power generator 3 generates an electric current when the aforementioned other radiation, converted by the conversion film 1, is incident on it. In this embodiment, even when the incident radiation (neutrons in this embodiment) is incident on the power generator 3, the power generator 3 generates almost no electric current from the incident radiation. The power generator 3 is manufactured separately from the film holding member 2, and then the film holding member 2 is attached to the power generator 3. The power generator 3 (for example, the electrode layers 3b and 3c described later) can be connected to the current measuring instrument 8 described later via the wiring 7 described later. The base end of the wiring 7 is connected to the power generator 3 (electrode layers 3b and 3c), and the tip of the wiring 7 may be provided with a terminal 7a that can be connected to the terminal 8a of the current measuring instrument 8 (see, for example, Figure 4 described later).

[0028] In this embodiment, the power generation element 3 is a solar cell. That is, the current generating device 10 according to this embodiment uses a solar cell, which generates an electric current from incident sunlight, as the power generation element 3. Figure 2 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 1B. As shown in Figure 2, the power generation element 3 is a solar cell having a light-absorbing layer 3a that absorbs incident light and electrode layers 3b and 3c that allow the current generated by the light absorption in the light-absorbing layer 3a to flow to the wiring 7. The solar cell 3 may be in the form of a sheet or a plate.

[0029] Solar cell 3 may be a silicon solar cell. That is, the light-absorbing layer 3a may have an n-type silicon semiconductor and a p-type silicon semiconductor. Here, the n-type silicon semiconductor and the p-type silicon semiconductor may be single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon with impurities diffused into them. Solar cell 3 may generate electricity using a pn junction formed by joining a p-type silicon semiconductor and an n-type silicon semiconductor, or it may generate electricity using a PIN junction in which an intrinsic semiconductor is sandwiched between a p-type silicon semiconductor and an n-type silicon semiconductor. Solar cell 3 may also be an amorphous silicon solar cell. Furthermore, solar cell 3 may be a perovskite solar cell, a CIGS solar cell, or an InGaP solar cell, or any other type of solar cell.

[0030] The solar cell, as the power generator 3, may be configured to generate a measurable current based on the incident amount of the aforementioned other radiation, which is on the order of μGy / h or greater and on the order of MGy / h or less. For example, the solar cell 3 can be used to generate a current based on the incident amount of the aforementioned other radiation on the order of mGy / h. In this case, the current generator 10 can be used to measure the incident amount of neutron radiation for medical purposes. In another example, the current generator 10 can be used to measure the incident amount of neutrons in a nuclear power plant. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0031] The film-holding member 2 may be a glass plate that covers and protects the surface of the solar cell 3. More specifically, the film-holding member 2 may be a glass plate that covers and protects the surface of the electrode layer 3b of the solar cell 3. Before the conversion film 1 is formed on the film-holding member 2, such a film-holding member 2 may be a component of the solar cell 3, and may be a glass plate that covers and protects the surface of the solar cell 3 (the surface of the electrode layer 3b).

[0032] The sheet-like membrane holding member 2 and the sheet-like power generation body 3, which are stacked on top of each other, may have the same dimensions and shape (for example, rectangular, circular, elliptical, or a shape close to any of these) when viewed from the thickness direction, and the dimensions in each direction may be, for example, 1 cm or more and 20 cm or less.

[0033] Figures 3A and 3B show the power generator 3 and the membrane holding member 2 housed in the case 4. Figure 3A is a plan view, and Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3B-3B in Figure 3A. Figure 3C shows the state in Figure 3B with the lid member 5 removed from the case 4.

[0034] Case 4 houses the sheet-shaped power generator 3 and the sheet-shaped membrane holding member 2, which are stacked on top of each other. An opening 4a (Figure 3C) is formed in Case 4 on one side in the thickness direction of the housed power generator 3 and membrane holding member 2. Case 4 has a bottom surface 4b and an inner circumferential surface 4c that demarcate the space in which the power generator 3 and membrane holding member 2 are housed. When viewed from the thickness direction of the housed power generator 3 and membrane holding member 2, the shape and dimensions of this space may match those of the power generator 3 and membrane holding member 2.

[0035] The lid member 5 is attached to the case 4 so as to close the opening 4a of the case 4. With the lid member 5 attached to the case 4, the conversion film 1 of the film holding member 2 is in close contact with the power generation body 3 by pressing the film holding member 2 against the power generation body 3. This makes it possible to maintain the state in which the conversion film 1 is in close contact with the surface of the power generation body 3 (the surface of the electrode layer 3b) without using an adhesive. Such a lid member 5 has both the function of protecting the power generation body 3 (solar cell) and the film holding member 2 inside the case 4, and the function of pressing the film holding member 2 against the power generation body 3.

[0036] The lid member 5 is preferably made of a neutron-permeable material. For example, the lid member 5 is made of a material that does not contain hydrogen. Specifically, the lid member 5 may be made of a glass-based material (quartz, borosilicate glass, soda glass, etc.), a ceramic-based material (alumina, zirconia, silica, etc.), a metal (aluminum, duralumin, etc.), or a non-metal (carbon, etc.). Alternatively, the lid member 5 may be made of plastic (ABS, epoxy, PEEK, polyimide, PTFE, etc.). If necessary, a light-shielding film or paint may be provided on the outer surface of the lid member 5 to prevent external light from entering the case 4. Alternatively, the power generator 3 and the film holding member 2 may be completely covered with a light-shielding film together with the case 4 and lid member 5 to prevent external light from entering the power generator 3.

[0037] The lid member 5 may be fixed to the case 4 by appropriate means while closing the opening 4a. For example, as shown in Figure 3C, the lid member 5 has protrusions 5a and 5b at both ends opposite each other, and the case 4 has engagement holes 4d and 4e at positions corresponding to these protrusions 5a and 5b, into which the protrusions 5a and 5b engage. By elastically deforming the lid member 5, the protrusions 5a and 5b are inserted into the engagement holes 4d and 4e. In this way, the lid member 5, which is attached to the case 4 to close the opening 4a, may be detachably fixed to the case 4 by locking it in the thickness direction to the case 4 (the inner surface of the engagement holes 4d and 4e). Alternatively, with the lid member 5 attached to the case 4 to close the opening 4a, each of several locations on the outer circumference of the lid member 5 may be detachably fixed to the case 4 by screws, or the outer circumference of the lid member 5 may be fixed to the case 4 with adhesive, or the lid member 5 may be fixed to the case 4 by other means.

[0038] The filling member 6 is placed between the lid member 5 and the membrane holding member 2. The filling member 6 is formed in a plate shape. The filling member 6 is sandwiched between the lid member 5 and the membrane holding member 2, thereby pressing the membrane holding member 2 against the power generator 3.

[0039] The filling member 6 may be made of an elastic material. This elastic material may be, for example, a sponge or rubber, but is not limited to these. The filling member 6 made of an elastic material generates an elastic restoring force when elastically compressed between the lid member 5 and the membrane holding member 2, and this elastic restoring force presses the membrane holding member 2 against the power generator 3. The filling member 6 may be omitted. In this case, the lid member 5 may directly press the membrane holding member 2 against the power generator 3.

[0040] Furthermore, the wiring 7 (e.g., a cable) connected to the electrodes of the power generator 3 inside case 4 extends outside case 4 and is connected to the current measuring instrument 8, which will be described later. Case 4 may have holes (not shown) for wiring through which the wiring 7 passes from the power generator 3 inside to the outside.

[0041] The current generator 10 may include a current measuring instrument 8 and a display unit 9, as shown in Figure 4, which will be described later. The current measuring instrument 8 measures the value of the current generated by the power generator 3. The display unit 9 displays the value of the current measured by the current measuring instrument 8. The display unit 9 may be a display provided on the current measuring instrument 8, or it may be a device that is separate from the current measuring instrument 8 but has a display that receives and displays the measured value of the current from the current measuring instrument 8.

[0042] Figure 4 shows the incident radiation dose measuring device 20 according to the first embodiment. The incident radiation dose measuring device 20 measures the incident radiation dose based on the value of the current generated by the power generator 3 in the current generator 10 and measured by the current measuring instrument 8. The incident radiation dose measuring device 20 comprises the current generator 10, the processing unit 21, and the display unit 22.

[0043] The processing unit 21 determines the amount of incident radiation based on the current value measured by the current measuring instrument 8. For example, the processing unit 21 determines the amount of incident radiation based on the current value measured by the current measuring instrument 8 and the correspondence between the current value and the amount of incident radiation. This correspondence is the relationship between the amount of incident radiation to the current generator 10 and the value of the current generated by the power generator 3, and is, for example, predetermined experimentally and stored in the processing unit 21. More specifically, the predetermined correspondence may be the relationship between the amount of incident radiation to the surface of the film holding member 2 opposite to the conversion film 1 (or the outer surface of the lid member 5) and the value of the current generated by the power generator 3.

[0044] Alternatively, the incident amount may be determined as follows: Prepare a film-less current generator that does not have a conversion film 1. The film-less current generator has the same configuration as the current generator 10 except that it does not have a conversion film 1. Place the current generator 10 and the film-less current generator adjacent to each other at the incident amount measurement location, and in this arrangement, measure the current generated by the power generator 3 in each of the current generator 10 and the film-less current generator using a current measuring instrument 8, and input the measured value of the current into the processing unit 21. The processing unit 21 calculates the difference value obtained by subtracting the measured value of the current generated by the film-less current generator from the measured value of the current generated by the current generator 10. The processing unit 21 may use this difference value as the current value caused by the incident radiation and determine the incident amount of incident radiation based on this current value and the correspondence relationship described above.

[0045] The processing unit 21 may be comprised of a computer (for example, a personal computer). The display unit 22 displays the amount of incident radiation determined by the processing unit 21. The display unit 22 may be a display provided on the processing unit 21, or it may be a separate device that has a display that receives and displays the amount of incident radiation determined by the processing unit 21. Alternatively, instead of the processing unit 21, a person may determine the amount of incident radiation based on the current value displayed on the display unit 9 and the aforementioned correspondence determined in advance.

[0046] The current generator 10 described above can be manufactured, for example, by the following manufacturing method. This manufacturing method has steps S1 to S4. In step S1, a film holding member 2 is prepared. In step S2, a conversion film 1 is formed on the surface of the film holding member 2. This formation can be carried out, for example, by an electrostatic coating method, and has steps S21 to S23.

[0047] In step S21, a powder consisting of numerous fine particles (for example, boron nitride powder) that will be the material for the conversion film 1 is prepared. The particle size of the fine particles constituting this powder is sufficiently smaller than the thickness of the conversion film 1, for example, less than 1 μm (in one example, 0.2 μm or less). Here, the particle size may be the average particle diameter. The average particle diameter may be expressed as the equivalent diameter of a circle by microscopy, or as the equivalent diameter of a sphere by light scattering.

[0048] In step S22, the prepared powder is added to the solution, and the solution is discharged from the nozzle onto the surface of the film-holding member 2. At this time, a voltage is applied between the nozzle and the film-holding member 2. As a result, the solution, which has been charged by the nozzle, is discharged from the nozzle, and the powder in the solution is applied to the surface of the film-holding member 2, which has been charged to the opposite pole to the charge of the solution. Any known and suitable nozzle and voltage application device may be used at this time, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0049] In step S23, the powder applied to the film-holding member 2 is heated. That is, the film-holding member 2 is heated. This forms the conversion film 1 on the surface of the film-holding member 2. The heating temperature in step S23 may be, for example, 80°C or higher, 100°C or higher, 120°C or higher, or 150°C or higher. If the solution in step S22 contains a binder, the binder may be volatilized by heating the film-holding member 2 to 300°C or higher in step S23.

[0050] In step S3, the power generation unit 3, case 4, lid member 5, and filling member 6 are prepared. Here, the power generation unit 3 may be a solar cell. This solar cell 3 may be a commercially available product.

[0051] In step S4, the components are assembled together. That is, the membrane holding member 2 on which the conversion membrane 1 was formed in step S2, the power generation unit 3, and the filling member 6 are housed inside the case 4 as described above, and in this state, the lid member 5 is attached to the case 4 so as described above to close the opening 4a of the case 4.

[0052] Alternatively, in step S1, one large sheet-like film-holding member 2 may be prepared, in step S2, a conversion film 1 may be formed on the entire surface of the film-holding member 2, and then the film-holding member 2 may be cut to form multiple film-holding members 2. In this case, by performing steps S3 and S4 on each of these film-holding members 2, multiple current generators 10 can be efficiently manufactured. That is, one large sheet-like film-holding member 2 prepared in step S1 can be used to manufacture multiple current generators 10.

[0053] (Effects of the embodiment) According to this embodiment, the following effects (A) to (J) can be obtained.

[0054] (A) After forming the conversion film 1 on the film holding member 2, the film holding member 2 can be attached to the power generator 3 so that the conversion film 1 is in close proximity to the surface of the current generating member. This prevents the material of the conversion film 1 from adhering to the power generator 3 when the conversion film 1 is formed, thus avoiding adverse effects on the current generating member due to the formation of the conversion film 1.

[0055] (B) Instead of creating a component consisting only of the conversion film 1, the conversion film 1 is formed on the film holding member 2, which makes it easier to form the conversion film 1.

[0056] (C) The conversion film 1 is formed on the sheet-like film holding member 2. As a result, a conversion film 1 (sheet) of the desired dimensions (area) can be obtained simply by cutting the sheet-like film holding member 2 (i.e., the sheet consisting of the conversion film 1 and the film holding member 2).

[0057] (D) The film holding member 2 is attached to the power generator 3 so that the conversion film 1 is in close contact with the surface of the power generator 3. This suppresses the attenuation of other radiation due to the gap between the surface of the power generator 3 and the conversion film 1, thereby enabling a good conversion efficiency of the generated current with respect to the incident radiation.

[0058] (E) The power generator 3 and the membrane holding member 2 are housed inside the case 4 through the opening 4a of the case 4, and the opening 4a is closed by the lid member 5. This allows the current generator 10 (incidence amount measuring device 20) to be handled while protecting the power generator 3 and the membrane holding member 2.

[0059] (F) The power generator 3 is a solar cell that generates an electric current when sunlight is incident on it. Solar cells 3 can be obtained relatively cheaply and easily. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the current generator 10 can be reduced.

[0060] (G) The film holding member 2 is a glass plate that covers and protects the surface of the electrode layer 3b of the solar cell 3. Since such a glass plate is a component of the solar cell 3, the current generating device 10 can be manufactured without providing any new components.

[0061] (H) The sheet-shaped power generator 3 and the sheet-shaped membrane holding member 2, which are stacked on top of each other, are housed in the case 4, and the lid member 5 is attached to the case 4 so as to close the opening 4a of the case 4, and by pressing the membrane holding member 2 against the power generator 3, the conversion membrane 1 of the membrane holding member 2 is in close contact with the power generator 3. This not only protects the power generator 3 and the conversion membrane 1 (membrane holding member 2) inside the case 4, but the lid member 5 of the case 4 also presses the membrane holding member 2 against the power generator 3, making the conversion membrane 1 in close contact with the power generator 3 (surface of electrode layer 3b).

[0062] (I) By placing a plate-shaped filling member 6 between the lid member 5 and the membrane holding member 2, the membrane holding member 2 can be reliably pressed against the power generation unit 3 by the filling member 6.

[0063] (J) Because the filling member 6 is made of an elastic material, the film holding member 2 can be pressed against the power generation unit 3 by the filling member 6 more reliably.

[0064] [Second Embodiment] Figure 6 shows a current generator 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the matters described below differ from those of the first embodiment, while matters not described below may be the same as in the first embodiment.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the power generation body 3 is a deformable sheet-like member. For example, the power generation body 3 is a deformable sheet-like solar cell. The film holding member 2 is also a deformable sheet-like member. Similar to the first embodiment, a conversion film 1 is formed on the surface of the sheet-like film holding member 2. The film holding member 2 is attached to the power generation body 3, so that the film holding member 2 and the power generation body 3 constitute a single, integrated, deformable flexible sheet. That is, the film holding member 2 and the power generation body 3 are overlapped and attached to each other in their respective thickness directions.

[0066] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the film-holding member 2 and the power generator 3 attached to each other. The film-holding member 2 is attached to the power generator 3 by, for example, an adhesive 31. In this case, the thickness of the adhesive 31 provided between the film-holding member 2 (for example, the conversion film 1 on the film-holding member 2) and the power generator 3 should be, for example, 0.1 mm or less. This makes it possible to suppress the attenuation of the other radiation by the adhesive 31 before it enters the power generator 2.

[0067] The current generator 10 according to the second embodiment does not have a case 4, a lid member 5, and a filling member 6. Figure 8 shows the incident amount measuring device 20 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the incident amount measuring device 20 includes a current generator 10, a display unit 9, a processing unit 21, and a display unit 22, similar to the first embodiment.

[0068] In the manufacturing method of the current generator 10 according to the second embodiment, the film holding member 2 is attached to the power generation body 2 as described above in step S4. Other aspects of the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment may be the same as those of the manufacturing method in the first embodiment.

[0069] According to the second embodiment, the flexible sheet formed by attaching the film holding member 2 and the power generator 3 to each other can be easily attached to a surface where the amount of incident radiation to be measured (hereinafter simply referred to as the measurement surface) by appropriate means (for example, tape). At this time, since the flexible sheet is deformable, it can be attached to the measurement surface in a state where it is deformed to conform to the shape of the measurement surface. That is, even if the measurement surface is a curved surface, the flexible sheet can be attached to the measurement surface in a state where it is deformed to conform to the shape of the measurement surface. In this way, the amount of incident radiation to the flexible sheet (measurement surface) attached to the measurement surface can be measured by an incident radiation measurement device.

[0070] Such a measurement surface may be a desired area on the surface of the skin of a patient undergoing radiation therapy (e.g., neutron therapy). In this case, the treatment may involve irradiating the treatment site in the patient (e.g., the site where cancer cells are present) with radiation to kill the cells causing the disease (cancer cells). In this case, the radiation used for treatment is the incident radiation described above.

[0071] Alternatively, the measurement surface may be a predetermined surface of a device that treats a patient with radiation, as described above, or a predetermined surface (surface of a structure) located near said device. Alternatively, the measurement surface may be a predetermined surface of a device that diagnoses a patient with radiation, or a predetermined surface (surface of a structure) located near said device. The device may be one that generates a diagnostic image of the inside of a patient based on the radiation that is irradiated onto the patient and passes through the patient.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. For example, the current generator 10 and the incident amount measuring device 20 according to each of the embodiments described above do not have to have all of the above-described items, and may have only some of the above-described items.

[0073] Furthermore, you may adopt any of the following modification examples 1-6 individually, or you may combine two or more of modification examples 1-6 in any way that does not create any contradictions. In this case, the points not mentioned below are the same as those described above.

[0074] (Example of change 1) Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the current generator 10 according to Modification Example 1 of the First Embodiment described above. In the First Embodiment described above, the conversion film 1 was formed on one surface in the thickness direction of the sheet-like film holding member 2. In contrast, in Modification Example 1 of the First Embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 9, the sheet-like film holding member 2 has a first surface 2a and a second surface 2b that are opposite to each other in the thickness direction, and conversion films 1A and 1B are formed on the first surface 2a and the second surface 2b, respectively. In this case, the conversion film 1A on the first surface 2a and the conversion film 1B on the second surface 2b are formed of different materials. Here, different materials include not only cases where the elements that convert the incident irradiation ray to another radiation are different, but also cases where the concentrations of the elements that convert the incident irradiation ray to another radiation are different (for example, 1.5 times or more, or 2 times or more).

[0075] This allows the film holding member 2 to be attached to the power generator 3 so that the conversion film 1A or 1B (conversion film 1A in the example of Figure 9) that is suitable for the type of incident radiation being measured is in close proximity (e.g., in contact) with the power generator 3. In this way, of the two conversion films 1A and 1B, the conversion film 1A or 1B (conversion film 1A in the example of Figure 9) that provides higher measurement sensitivity for the incident radiation amount relative to the type of incident radiation being measured can be selected and used.

[0076] (Example of change 2) Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the current generator 10 according to Modification Example 2 of the First or Second Embodiment described above. In the First and Second Embodiments described above, the film holding member 2 was attached to one side of the thickness direction of the power generation body 3. In contrast, the current generator 10 according to Modification Example 2 of the First or Second Embodiment described above includes two film holding members 2A and 2B, as shown in Figure 10.

[0077] In this case, the conversion film 1 is formed on each film holding member 2A and 2B. The two film holding members 2A and 2B are attached to both sides of the power generation body 3 such that the conversion films 1 of the two film holding members 2A and 2B are in close proximity (e.g., in contact) with the surfaces on both sides of the power generation body 3, as shown in Figure 10.

[0078] Figure 11 shows a modified example 2 of the first embodiment. In this case, with the lid member 5 attached to the case 4 so as described above to close the opening 4a of the case 4, one membrane holding member 2A (its conversion membrane 1) is pressed against one surface of the power generator 3 (the surface of the electrode layer 3b in Figure 2) by the pressing force of the lid member 5 via the filling member 6, and the other surface of the power generator 3 (the surface of the electrode layer 3c) is pressed against the other membrane holding member 2B (its conversion membrane 1).

[0079] In the modified example 2, the power generator 3 may be a double-sided photosensitive solar cell that generates current not only from sunlight incident from one side in its thickness direction (the side of electrode layer 3b in Figure 2), but also from sunlight incident from the other side in its thickness direction (the side of electrode layer 3c in Figure 2).

[0080] This modification example 2 can improve the sensitivity of the incident radiation dose measurement.

[0081] In Modification Example 2, the conversion film 1 of one of the two film-holding members 2A and 2B, the conversion film 1 of the other film-holding member 2B, may be made of the same material, or they may be made of different materials. In the latter case, even if the conversion efficiency of one film-holding member 2A to another type of radiation is low depending on the type of incident radiation being measured, a high conversion efficiency to another type of radiation can be obtained by the other film-holding member 2B. In Modification Example 2, the difference in materials may mean that the elements that convert the incident radiation into another type of radiation are different.

[0082] (Example of change 3) In the first or second embodiment described above, the conversion film 1 may be formed on the film holding member 2 by a method other than electrostatic coating (for example, spray coating or screen printing).

[0083] (Example of change 4) In the first embodiment described above, the case 4, lid member 5, and filling member 6 may be omitted, and the film holding member 2 may be attached to the power generation body 3 by other means. In this case, the other means may be, for example, an adhesive (for example, an adhesive with a thickness of 0.1 mm or less) provided between the film holding member 2 and the power generation body 3, or clips or tapes that clamp the outer edges of the film holding member 2 and the power generation body 3 together while keeping them in close contact.

[0084] (Example of change 5) In each of the first and second embodiments described above, the film holding member 2 may be attached to the power generator 3 by an adhesive force such as contact electrostatic adhesion, liquid crosslinking force, van der Waals force, or Coulomb force. In this case, the case 4, lid member 5, and filling member 6 described above may be omitted in the first embodiment, and the adhesive 31 may be omitted in the second embodiment.

[0085] In this case, in order to improve the adhesion between the film-holding member 2 (e.g., the conversion film 1) and the power generator 3, the surface of the film-holding member 2 that adheres to the power generator 3, or the surface of the power generator 3 to which the film-holding member 2 adheres, may be modified. The modification may be, for example, decoration of the surface with OH groups, or a change in the surface roughness of the surface.

[0086] Furthermore, a binder may be included in the conversion film 1 as follows. For example, when forming the conversion film 1 on the film-holding member 2 by electrostatic coating, a binder such as a polymer may be included in the solution containing the material of the conversion film 1, and the solution may be attached to the surface of the film-holding member 2 using static electricity and heated at a predetermined temperature to form a conversion film 1 with improved adhesion to the surface of the power generator 3.

[0087] This modification example 5 may also be adopted in the above-mentioned modification examples 1 to 3. In this case, for modification example 1, the conversion film 1 is read as conversion films 1A and 1B in the above-mentioned explanation of modification example 5, and for modification example 2, the film holding member 2 is read as film holding members 2A and 2B.

[0088] (Example of change 6) In the above description, neutrons were used as the incident radiation to measure the amount of incident neutron beams. However, the current generator 10 described above can also be used to measure gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams. In this case, gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams are incident on the power generator 3 without passing through the conversion films 1, 1A, 1B (i.e., the film holding member 2).

[0089] For example, when electrons and helium ions (as ion beams) are incident on the power generator 3, electron-hole pairs are generated within the power generator 3, causing the power generator 3 to generate an electric current. However, since low-energy electrons and ion beams have a short range of only a few micrometers, it is preferable to direct them onto the power generator 3. For example, electrons or ion beams may be directly incident on the power generator 3 with the power generator 3 removed from the case 4. When measuring the amount of incident electrons or ion beams as described above, light-shielding films such as gold, silver, beryllium, or aluminum may be deposited on the surface of the power generator 3 as electrode layers 3b and 3c.

[0090] Furthermore, when gamma rays or X-rays are incident on the power generator 3, or on the case 4 or lid member 5, secondary electrons are generated by the Compton effect, electron-pair production, or photoelectric effect. As a result, the power generator 3 generates an electric current. Note that for gamma rays or X-rays with high energy above a predetermined value, the secondary electrons saturate at a predetermined thickness in the object. Therefore, to maximize detection sensitivity, a cap (cover) may be attached to the power generator 3 to saturate the generated secondary electrons.

[0091] Thus, when measuring the amount of incident gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams, the film holding member 2 is removable from the power generator 3. With the film holding member 2 removed from the power generator 3, gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams are incident on the power generator 3 without passing through the film holding member 2 (conversion films 1, 1A, 1B), causing the power generator 3 to generate a current corresponding to the incident amount. Alternatively, by incidenting gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams on the side of the power generator 3 opposite to the side to which the film holding member 2 is attached, the power generator 3 generates a current corresponding to the incident amount. In this case, the incident amount measuring device 20 determines the incident amount based on the value of the current, using the current measuring instrument 8 and the processing device 21, as described above.

[0092] Figure 12 shows the results of measuring the incident radiation doses of various types of radiation using the incident radiation dose measuring device 20 without going through the conversion films 1, 1A, and 1B (i.e., the film holding member 2), as described above. In Figure 12, the diamond, square, cross, white circle, and triangle plots represent the measurement results for 80 keV electrons, 150 keV electrons, 400 keV electrons, helium ions, and gamma rays, respectively. The small black circles and solid lines show the measurement results of the characteristics of the solar cell 3 in relation to incident visible light.

[0093] As can be seen from Figure 12, the current generator 10 can also be used to measure the amount of incident gamma rays, electron beams, or ion beams (helium ions). [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1,1A,1B conversion membrane 2. Membrane-holding member 3. Power generation device (solar cell) 3a Light-absorbing layer 3b,3c electrode layer 4 cases 4a aperture 4b Bottom 4c Inner surface 4d,4e Engagement hole 5. Lid member 5a,5b Projection 6 Filling material 7. Wiring (Cables) 7a terminal 8. Current measuring instrument 8a terminal 9 Display section 10 Current Generator 20. Injection Amount Measurement Device 21 Processing Unit 22 Display section 31 Adhesive

Claims

1. A current generating device that generates a current corresponding to the amount of incident radiation in order to measure the amount of incident radiation, A conversion membrane that converts incident radiation into other types of radiation, A film holding member on which the conversion film is formed, The system comprises a power generator that generates an electric current when the aforementioned other radiation is incident upon it, The film holding member is attached to the power generation body such that the conversion film is close to the surface of the power generation body. Current generator.

2. The aforementioned film-holding member is a sheet-like member. The current generating device according to claim 1.

3. The film holding member is attached to the power generation body such that the conversion film is in close contact with the surface of the power generation body. The current generating device according to claim 1.

4. The power generation device is a solar cell that generates an electric current when sunlight is incident on it. The current generating device according to claim 1.

5. The film-holding member is a glass plate that covers and protects the surface of the electrode layer of the solar cell. The current generating device according to claim 4.

6. A case that houses the sheet-like power generation elements and the sheet-like film holding members stacked on top of each other, with an opening formed on one side in the thickness direction of the housed power generation elements and film holding members, It has a lid member that is attached to the case so as to close the opening, With the lid member attached to the case, the membrane holding member is pressed against the power generation body so that the conversion membrane of the membrane holding member is in close contact with the power generation body. The current generating device according to claim 2.

7. The lid member has a plate-shaped filling member that is positioned between the lid member and the membrane holding member, The filling member is sandwiched between the lid member and the membrane holding member, thereby pressing the membrane holding member against the power generation body. The current generating device according to claim 6.

8. The filling member is made of an elastic material, The current generating device according to claim 7, wherein the filling member generates an elastic restoring force by being elastically compressed between the lid member and the membrane holding member, and this elastic restoring force presses the membrane holding member against the power generating body.

9. The power generation body is a deformable sheet-like member, The aforementioned film-holding member is a deformable sheet-like member, The film-holding member is attached to the power generation body, so that the film-holding member and the power generation body form a single, integrated flexible sheet. The current generating device according to claim 1.

10. The sheet-like film-holding member has a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other in the thickness direction. The conversion film is formed on each of the first and second surfaces. The conversion film on the first surface and the conversion film on the second surface are formed of different materials. The film holding member is attached to the power generation body such that one of the conversion film on the first surface and the conversion film on the second surface is close to the surface of the power generation body. The current generating device according to claim 1.

11. The device comprises two of the aforementioned film-holding members, Each of the aforementioned membrane holding members has the conversion membrane formed thereon. The two membrane-holding members are attached to both sides of the power generation body such that the conversion membranes of the two membrane-holding members are in close proximity to the surfaces on both sides of the power generation body. The current generating device according to claim 1.

12. The conversion film of one of the two film-holding members and the conversion film of the other film-holding member are formed of different materials. The current generating device according to claim 11.

13. The incident radiation is neutrons, The aforementioned other radiation is alpha particles, beta particles, protons, lithium nuclei, or gamma rays. The current generating device according to claim 1.

14. The current generating device according to claim 13, wherein, when measuring the amount of incident gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams, the power generator generates an electric current using gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, or ion beams incident without passing through the conversion film.

15. The film-holding member is attached to the surface of the power generator by contact electrostatic adhesion, liquid crosslinking force, van der Waals force, or Coulomb force. A current generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 9 to 13.

16. The generator is equipped with a current measuring instrument for measuring the value of the current generated by the generator. A current generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

17. The current generating device according to claim 16, The system includes a processing device that determines the amount of incident radiation based on the value of the current measured by the current measuring instrument. An injection amount measuring device.

18. A method for manufacturing a current generator that generates a current corresponding to a predetermined amount of incident radiation in order to measure the amount of incident radiation, (A) A conversion film that converts incident radiation into another type of radiation is formed on the surface of the film-holding member, (B) The film holding member is attached to the power generation unit such that the conversion film is in close proximity to the surface of the power generation unit. A method for manufacturing an electric current generator.

Images