Radiation hardness of cadmium telluride solar cells in proton therapy beam mode

Cho, Shinhaeng; Ahn, Sang Hee; Cho, Ick Joon; Kim, Yong Hyub; Jeong, Jae‐Uk; Yoon, Myung Ha; Ahn, Sung‐Ja; Chung, Woong‐Ki; Nam, Taek‐Keun; Song, Jong Tae

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0221655

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The second generation of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar cells, combined with metal plates (e.g., copper), have sufficiently high atomic number and electron density to improve quantum efficiency. [17][18][19][20] Therefore, CdTe photovoltaic devices can detect radiation directly without conversion to visible light. CdTe detectors were found to be suitable for 6 MV X-ray measurements, as the percentage depth doses (PDDs) measured using CdTe detectors were in good agreement with the PDDs measured by ionization chambers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flexible thin‐film solar cells are types of semiconductor detectors that can be used in a simple setup because these cells do not require devices such as photomultiplier tubes. The second generation of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin‐film solar cells, combined with metal plates (e.g., copper), have sufficiently high atomic number and electron density to improve quantum efficiency 17–20 . Therefore, CdTe photovoltaic devices can detect radiation directly without conversion to visible light.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Development of a dosimetry system for therapeutic X‐rays using a flexible amorphous silicon thin‐film solar cell with a scintillator screen

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose To evaluate the dosimetric characteristics and applications of a dosimetry system composed of a flexible amorphous silicon thin‐film solar cell and scintillator screen (STFSC‐SS) for therapeutic X‐rays. Methods The real‐time dosimetry system was composed of a flexible a‐Si thin‐film solar cell (0.2‐mm thick), a scintillator screen to increase its efficiency, and an electrometer to measure the generated charge. The dosimetric characteristics of the developed system were evaluated including its energy dependence, dose linearity, and angular dependence. Calibration factors for the signal measured by the system and absorbed dose‐to‐water were obtained by setting reference conditions. The application and correction accuracy of the developed system were evaluated by comparing the absorbed dose‐to‐water measured using a patient treatment beam with that measured using the ion chamber. Results The responses of STFSC‐SS to energy, field size, depth, and source‐to‐surface distance (SSD) were more dependent on measurement conditions than were the responses of the ion chamber, although the former dependence was due to the scintillator screen, not the solar cell. The signals of STFSC‐SS were also dependent on dose rate, while the responses of solar cell alone and scintillator screen were not dependent on dose rate. The scintillator screen reduced the output of solar cell at 6 and 15 MV by 0.60 and 0.55%, respectively. The different absorbed dose‐to‐water measured using STFSC‐SS for patient treatment beam differed by 0.4% compared to those measured using the ionization chamber. The uncertainties of the developed system for 6 and 15 MV photon beams were 1.8 and 1.7%, respectively, confirming the accuracy and applicability of this system. Conclusions The thin‐film solar cell‐based detector developed in this study can accurately measure absorbed dose‐to‐water. The increased signal resulting from the use of the scintillator screen is advantageous for measuring low doses and stable signal output. In addition, this system is flexible, making it applicable to curved surfaces, such as a patient's body, and is cost‐effective.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a dosimetry system for therapeutic X‐rays using a flexible amorphous silicon thin‐film solar cell with a scintillator screen

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, considering the increasing applications of CdTe-based cells, apart from efficiency, their long-term stability and applications in high-radiation environments, such as space missions, need to be assessed as well. Cho et al [13] fabricated a CdTe-based cell that can be utilized for space missions or beaminduced treatments and investigated the degradation process of the cell in a proton beam environment. Burst et al [14] showed that the hole density and carrier lifetime of CdTe can change when the sample is annealed in an environment containing Cd or Te vapor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance Comparison of CdTe:Na, CdTe:As, and CdTe:P Single Crystals for Solar Cell Applications

Kim

Hong

et al. 2022

Materials

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We compared thermal stability, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and fill factor values of single-crystal Cadmium telluride (CdTe) grown using the vertical Bridgman (VB) technique and doped with group V elements (phosphorus and arsenic), and group Ⅰ element (sodium), followed by an annealing process. The sodium-doped CdTe maintained a hole density of 1016 cm−3 or higher; after annealing for a long time, this decreased to 1015 cm−3 or less. The arsenic-doped CdTe maintained a hole density of approximately 1016 cm−3 even after the annealing process; however its bulk minority carrier lifetime decreased by approximately 10%. The phosphorus-doped CdTe maintained its properties after the annealing process, ultimately achieving a hole density of ~1016 cm−3 and a minority carrier lifetime of ~40 ns. The characteristics of a single-crystal solar cell were evaluated using a solar cell device that contained single-crystal CdTe with various dopants. The sodium-doped sample exhibited poor interfacial properties, and its performance decreased rapidly during annealing. The samples doped with group V elements exhibited stable characteristics even during long-term annealing. We concluded, therefore, that group V elements dopants are more suitable for CdTe single-crystal-based solar cell applications involving thermal stress conditions, such as space missions or extreme fabrication temperature environments.

show abstract

“…25,26 Recently, evaluation of the dose linearity, dose rate dependency, and field size dependency of organic solar cells and scintillators has suggested their potential utility in therapeutic radiation dosimetry. [27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Flexible thin film solar cells have advantages in radiation dosimetry applications, including their ability to be set up on curved surfaces and their cost-effectiveness. To date, two types of thin film solar cells have been considered useful for radiation dosimetry: cadmium telluride (CdTe) and amorphous silicon (a-Si).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a real‐time in vivo dosimetry tool for electron beam therapy using a flexible thin film solar cell coated with scintillator powder

Jeong

Kwon

et al. 2022

Medical Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose A real‐time solar cell based in vivo dosimetry system (SC‐IVD) was developed using a flexible thin film solar cell and scintillating powder. The present study evaluated the clinical feasibility of the SC‐IVD in electron beam therapy. Methods A thin film solar cell was coated with 100 mg of scintillating powder using an optical adhesive to enhance the sensitivity of the SC‐IVD. Calibration factors were obtained by dividing the dose, measured at a reference depth for 6–20 MeV electron beam energy, by the signal obtained using the SC‐IVD. Dosimetric characteristics of SC‐IVDs containing variable quantities of scintillating powder (0–500 mg) were evaluated, including energy, dose rate, and beam angle dependencies, as well as dose linearity. To determine the extent to which the SC‐IVD affected the dose to the medium, doses at R90 were compared depending on whether the SC‐IVD was on the surface. Finally, the accuracy of surface doses measured using the SC‐IVD was evaluated by comparison with surface doses measured using a Markus chamber. Results Charge measured using the SC‐IVD increased linearly with dose and was within 1% of the average signal according to the dose rate. The signal generated by the SC‐IVD increased as the beam angle increased. The presence of the SC‐IVD on the surface of a phantom resulted in a 0.5%–2.2% reduction in dose at R90 for 6–20 MeV electron beams compared with the bare phantom. Surface doses measured using the SC‐IVD system and Markus chamber differed by less than 5%. Conclusions The dosimetric characteristics of the SC‐IVD were evaluated in this study. The results showed that it accurately measured the surface dose without a significant difference of dose in the medium when compared with the Markus chamber. The flexibility of the SC‐IVD allows it to be attached to a patient's skin, enabling real‐time and cost‐effective measurement.

show abstract

Radiation hardness of cadmium telluride solar cells in proton therapy beam mode

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

Development of a dosimetry system for therapeutic X‐rays using a flexible amorphous silicon thin‐film solar cell with a scintillator screen

Development of a dosimetry system for therapeutic X‐rays using a flexible amorphous silicon thin‐film solar cell with a scintillator screen

Performance Comparison of CdTe:Na, CdTe:As, and CdTe:P Single Crystals for Solar Cell Applications

Development of a real‐time in vivo dosimetry tool for electron beam therapy using a flexible thin film solar cell coated with scintillator powder

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About