Influence of 3D-printed collimator thickness on near-the-edge scattering of high-energy electrons

Abstract

In this research, we study how the thickness of a 3D-printed collimator affects highenergy electron scattering. As part of this work, an ABS plastic absorber was produced by fused deposition modeling. Dose distributions at the boundary of the plastic absorber were experimentally observed for 6, 12, and 20 MeV electron beams. For plastic absorber thicknesses of up to 3 cm, dose "hot spots" are observed at the boundary between the primary beam and the beam that has passed through the absorber for 12 and 20 MeV electrons. However, no additional scattering is observed at the absorber edges for the thicknesses of plastic collimators above the minimum thickness providing the total absorption of electron beams (≥ 4 cm for 6 MeV electrons, ≥ 8 cm for 12 MeV electrons, and ≥ 10 cm for 20 MeV electrons). The experiments show that 3D printing is a useful tool for modulating high energy electron beams, for example, in the field of medical physics.