Thermally Peelable Adhesive for Scintillator Array Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing scintillator arrays in radiation detectors are inefficient due to the need for multiple steps, including dissolving and washing processes, which complicate the manufacturing process and may lead to inaccuracies in the formation of scintillator cells.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a thermally peelable double-coated adhesive sheet to fix a scintillator substrate to a support plate, forming lattice-patterned grooves, filling these grooves with a liquid hardening resin, and curing it to create a resin-hardened scintillator cell body, which is then easily peeled off, reducing the number of steps and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an adhesive sheet is used to fix light-emitting elements or scintillator substrates, then alignment and positioning are improved, but dissolving and washing steps are required to peel the adhesive sheet, increasing the number of manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive sheet's peeling temperature is changed from ambient to elevated temperature. By selecting an adhesive that remains stable during resin curing but becomes peelable at elevated temperatures (e.g., 80-150°C), the need for dissolving and washing steps is eliminated. The same heating process used for resin curing also enables adhesive peeling, reducing manufacturing steps while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive sheet is selected and applied with the preliminary consideration that it will be peeled after resin curing. By choosing a thermally peelable adhesive from the beginning, the manufacturing process is designed to incorporate the peeling function into the existing heating step, avoiding the need for additional dissolving and washing steps that would otherwise be required.
2Reliability
If a foamed sheet or adhesive sheet is used as a holding sheet for curing resin, then support and positioning are improved, but dissolving and washing steps are needed to remove the sheet, reducing production efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The holding sheet material is changed from foamed sheet or conventional adhesive sheet to thermally peelable adhesive sheet. This material parameter change allows the sheet to be easily removed by heating to the adhesive's peeling temperature, eliminating the need for dissolving and washing steps. The adhesive provides sufficient support stability during curing while enabling efficient removal afterward, thereby improving production efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If ultraviolet-ray-sensitive adhesive film is used, then adhesive removal is simplified by ultraviolet radiation, but the method requires multiple steps including laser grooving and surface treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive removal mechanism is changed from ultraviolet-ray-sensitive to thermally peelable. This parameter change allows adhesive removal through simple heating to the peeling temperature, which can be integrated into the existing resin curing process. This eliminates the need for additional steps such as laser grooving and surface treatment required by ultraviolet-ray-sensitive adhesives, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining ease of adhesive removal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the efficient and precise production of scintillator arrays with reduced steps, ensuring high alignment and uniformity of scintillator cells, enhancing the performance of radiation detectors used in medical and baggage-inspecting CT apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
at least an adhesive surface thereof to be in contact with the scintillator substrate being thermally peelable
Implementation Method 2
filling the lattice-patterned grooves with a liquid hardening reflector resin; curing the liquid hardening resin by heating to form a resin-hardened scintillator cell body
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5(b)
AI summary
A method for producing a scintillator array comprising fixing a scintillator substrate to a support plate via a double-coated adhesive sheet, at least an adhesive surface thereof to be in contact with the scintillator substrate being thermally peelable; providing the scintillator substrate with lattice-patterned grooves to form pluralities of scintillator cells; filling gaps between the scintillator cells with a liquid hardening reflector resin; curing the liquid hardening reflector resin by heating to form a resin-hardened scintillator cell body; and then peeling the double-coated adhesive sheet from the resin-hardened scintillator cell body by heating.