Polycrystalline lead iodide films produced by solution evaporation and tested in the mammography X-ray energy range

Lead iodide polycrystalline films have been deposited on corning glass substrates using solution evaporation in oven. Films 6 μm-thick were obtained with full coverage of the substrates as verified by scanning electron microscopy. Some pin-holes were observable. X-ray diffraction revealed a crystalline structure corresponding to the 4 H-PbI2 polytype formation. Polarized Raman scattering experiments indicated a lamellar structure. Anisotropy was also investigated using depolarization ratio calculations. The optical and electrical properties of the samples were investigated using photoluminescence and dark conductivity as a function of temperature, respectively. Activation energies of 0.10 up to 0.89 eV were related to two main electrical transport mechanisms. Films were also exposed to X-ray irradiation in the mammography X-ray energy range. The detector produced was also exposed to X-ray from 5 mR up to 1450 mR. A linear response was observed as a function of dose with a slope of 0.52 nA/mm2 per mR.