Polyimide-based scintillating thin films

The production procedure and the scintillation characteristics of thin poly imide films containing rhodamine B are reported, Fluorinated polyimide has been chosen as host matrix for its well known radiation hardness, in order to improve the lifetime of detector systems based on plastic thin film scin tillators. 6FDA (4, 4'-hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride) and D AB (diaminobenzophenone) have been used as polyimide precursor monomers, Th e samples have been cured in air at temperatures ranging from 80 degreesC u p to 250 degreesC. The scintillation spectra have been collected by irradia ting the samples with a 5.478 MeV alpha particle source and their shape and intensity have been investigated as a function of dopant concentration and curing temperature. The total number of photons emitted from the films has been compared with a bulk NE102 plastic scintillator, On the basis of lite rature data on the bulk NE102, the intrinsic scintillation efficiency of th e hybrid polyimide films has been calculated. Scintillation efficiencies of about 14% relative to NE102 have been obtained, The scintillation intensit y as a function of curing temperatures and dye concentrations has been corr elated to the absorption and photoluminescence features in order to study t he energy transfer process into the matrix during the polymer condensation.