Thermoluminescence of metallic oxides. Development and applications in Mexico: An overview

Interest in the study of the thermoluminescence of metallic oxides doped with various elements has been steadily increasing due to the characteristics of these materials and their possible applications in the dosimetry of ionizing radiation. Metal oxides such as zirconium oxide (ZrO2), aluminum oxide Al2O3, titanium oxide (TiO2), hafnium oxide (HfO2) and beryllium oxide (BeO) are very interesting semiconductor materials having a wide band gap with different important applications. Since 1998, in our country we have developed these materials un-doped and doped with various elements, using different preparation methods. These materials have been obtained in powder form, thin films or in pellets made by mixing the TL powder with PTFE. Thermoluminescent and dosimetric characteristics of these materials have been studied and have been used successfully in various applications. It is presented an overview of the development of these materials in Mexico for the past 20 years.