Mercuric iodide composite films using polyamide, polycarbonate and polystyrene fabricated by casting

Mercuric iodide (HgI2) composite films were obtained by using the casting technique. Insulator polymers such as polyamide, polycarbonate and polystyrene were mixed to HgI2 crystallites forming a final sub-millimeter thick self-standing film. Fabrication temperature varied from 10 to 100 °C, and total fabrication time reached at most 5 min. The larger the fabrication temperature, the thinner the film and the smaller its electrical resistivity. Electrical characterization was performed in the dark, under UV illumination and under mammographic X-ray exposure. The final properties of the films are discussed and related to fabrication conditions. The optimized composite film might be a better candidate for use as X-ray detector for medical imaging, in place of the single HgI2 crystalline device.