Characterisation of Gd2O2S:Pr phosphor screens for water window X-ray detection

A soft X-ray scintillator phosphor (Gd2O2S:Pr) has been synthesised which is composed of discrete crystals of 120×150 nm average size. This material has been deposited onto a transparent substrate so that it can be used to detect X-rays generated by a laser generated plasma. A photodiode has then been used to quantify the intensity of emission by the phosphor slide. This nano-crystalline Gd2O2S:Pr phosphor shows greatly enhanced signal over a commercially available phosphor with larger particle size.