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Materials innovation and electrical engineering in X-ray detection

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Abstract

X-ray detection is critical for applications in medical diagnosis, industrial inspection, security checks, scientific inquiry and space exploration. Recent advances in materials science, electronics, manufacturing and artificial intelligence have greatly propelled the field forward. In this Review we examine fundamental principles and recent breakthroughs in X-ray detection and imaging technologies, with a focus on the interplay between electrical engineering techniques and X-ray-responsive materials. We highlight two primary approaches: semiconductor-based direct detection and scintillator-based indirect detection. We then discuss innovations such as photon-counting detectors and heterojunction phototransistors and emphasize the critical contributions of electrical engineering in the development of these cutting-edge detectors. Subsequently, we provide an overview of X-ray detection applications, ranging from biomedical imaging and resonant X-ray techniques for material analysis to nanometre-resolution circuit imaging. Finally, the Review summarizes future research directions, which encompass 3D and 4D X-ray imaging sensors, multispectral X-ray imaging and artificial intelligence-assisted medical image diagnosis.

Key points

  • X-ray detection is critical for numerous modern applications and recent advances in materials science, electronics, manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI) have greatly propelled this field forward.

  • The characteristics of semiconductor materials, such as carrier collection efficiency, dark current, ionization energy, resistance to X-ray damage and suitability for large-area fabrication, are key factors in direct X-ray detection.

  • Scintillators with high conversion efficiency and photosensors with high sensitivity are critical components of indirect detection flat panels, influencing their performance substantially.

  • X-ray detection and imaging play a crucial role across a wide spectrum of applications, including biomedical healthcare, industrial inspection and scientific research, as well as in the field of space exploration.

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Fig. 1: Mechanism and equivalent electronic circuitry for typical X-ray detection methods.
Fig. 2: Electric models and signal transduction strategies in direct X-ray detection.
Fig. 3: Indirect X-ray detection: materials, engineering technology and electrical engineering.
Fig. 4: Versatile applications of X-ray detection and imaging.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (grant no. A1983c0038), the National Research Foundation and the Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore under its Investigatorship Programme (award no. NRF-NRFI05-2019-0003). L.J.W. acknowledges support from the Ministry of Education, Singapore under its AcRF Tier 2 Programme (award no. MOE-T2EP50222-0012) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (grant no. 21H01743).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Bo Hou, Luying Yi & Xiaogang Liu

  2. MOE Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China

    Qiushui Chen

  3. Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

    Paul Sellin

  4. Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan

    Hong-Tao Sun

  5. School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Liang Jie Wong

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B.H., L.Y. and Q.C. researched data for the article. X.L., B.H., L.Y., L.J.W., Q.C., P.S. and H.-T.S. substantially contributed to discussion of the content. B.H. and L.Y. wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript before submission.

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Hou, B., Chen, Q., Yi, L. et al. Materials innovation and electrical engineering in X-ray detection. Nat Rev Electr Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-024-00086-x

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