Contact: Heejin Choi
Email: hjchoi2@etri.re.kr
Phone: +82. 42. 860. 4946
High-resolution radiation
detection sensor
manufacturing technology
Applicable for medical imaging field
2
TECHNOLOGY BRIEF
▣ Technology Overview
High-resolution radiation detection sensor manufacturing
technology
• Silicon device, which can replace vacuum tube PMT, can operate at a low bias
voltage unlike PMT.
• It is made of thousands of micro-pixel in matrix form to easily match with
scintillators. The device can have an extreme gain of over 1 million times
bigger and can react with weak source of lights such as a single photon.
PMT, radiation, detection sensor, pixel structure, SiPM, medical
imaging, and etc.
6
□ Keywords
□ TRL
Substrate
Pixel
Pixel diagram
Technology Categorization Code
Sector
Subsector
Industry
Fuse Creativity
Medical ICT
Medical Device
3
TECHNOLOGY BRIEF
High-resolution radiation detection sensor manufacturing
technology
• Vacuum tube PMT (Photo-Multiplier Tube) is big and is problematic when
operating at high voltage over 3,000 volt because of Geiger mode
operation.
• SiPM(Silicon Photo-Multiplier) operates at a low bias voltage and has a
matrix structure of pixels. It increases fil factor to detect weak source of
light such as a single photon wel .
▶Used industrially such as in medical imaging devices and
academically such as in nuclear energy / physics
• A sensor not only for low dose CT equipment, but also for radiation
detector.
• A popular sensor for medical imaging devices such as PET, PET-MR.
• Can be applied academical y or industrial y such as spectroscopy sensor
in nuclear and aerospace research.
▣ Technology Description
▣ Application Fields
< Previous PMT >
< New SiPM >
4
▶ Comparison of previous PMT and new SiPM technology
▶ Advantages of new SiPM technology
• Structure of the device: An important parameter in imaging sensor is the structure
needed to maximize light detection efficiency. Fil factor can maximize.
-Position Quenching circuit, which occupies a significant portion of light-receiving
area, to maximize fil factor on dead area between pixels.
Operating voltage: Variation of 20 - 40V to apply in different systems.
Processing: Use CMOS standard processing that considers CMOS processing and
compatibility.
▣ Outstanding Features
▣ IPR Status
PMT
SiPM
Material
Vacuum tube
Semiconductor
Multipling Gain
~ 10
6
~ 10
6
Operation Mode
Geiger
Geiger
Application Field
Various
Various
Operation Voltage (Volt)
~ 3000
20 - 70
Magnetic field Effect
Affect
Free
Weight
Heavy
Light
Handling
Careful
Easy
Conjunction with other equip.
Bad
Easy
Detectable Wavelength
UV - Green
Near IR - UV
Photon detection Efficiency (% )
25
20 (25 at -50
oC)
Dynamic range (# of pixels)
~ 10
5 /in 2
~ 10
3 /mm2
Thermal Noise
Low
Relative High
No.
Country
Application
Number (date)
Status
Title
1
KR
2013-0016481
Registered
Multiple pixel silicon
photomultiplier structure to
improve fil factor.
2
US
14/181053
Registered
5
• Sensor development and
detector development in medical
devices field is almost
nonexistent and expensive
medical devices used
domestical y are imported.
• Due to absence of domestic
sensors, sensors are imported,
assembled, and delivered.
Detector industry is not
technology intensive but labor
intensive form.
• Personal urban meter sensor
also relies on imports.
• Competition among countries are
becoming fiercer due to
globalization and digitalization.
Innovation is very important for
such competition.
• R&D investment has increased in
medical diagnosis device field
using radiation detection /
measurement and radiation due
to steady technology
development.
• Due to awareness in radiation
field after Fukushima nuclear
disaster has increased personal
radiation detection devices and
quality of life. This helps increase
medical bil s.
- Medical imaging industry is focused in advanced countries because of its
high values.
- -New generation medical imaging diagnosis area can help develop
advanced fusion technology such as 21st century industry leading IT, BT,
NT, chemistry, physics, material science and engineering.
- -Implemented domestic technology in all aspects from structure of the
sensor to production, so its contributions is significant to domestic
sensor industry.
□ Korea
□ Global
▣ Technology Trend
Applied area
Specific demands
Medical imaging field
Sensors such as PET, PET-MR, PET-CT, low dose CT
Academics field
Spectral sensors for nuclear physics and high
energy physics
Other fields
X-ray search sensors for airport / ship, personal
radiation detectors, oil / mineral navigation
sensors, other non-destructive sensors
▣ Demands
6
기술수요
적용처
-In medical imaging device market, about $8.4 billion market was formed in
2012 and estimated about 6% growth until 2018. ("Report for medical
devices market", 2013 Korea Health Industry Development Institute)
▣ Market Trend
Market rate of growth
World Market Size (‘08, in $100 million)
Fu
tu
re
past~present
Endoscope,
Source: Global Markets Direct. The Future of the Medical Equipment Industry (2008.11),
BCG consulting report (2010.09), Knowledge Economy R&D Medical Devices Vision Strategy Planning2020 (2011)
Drug Delivery device
Vitro Diagnosis
Ophthalmic
equipment
Video Diagnosis
Dental Device
Anesthesia /
Respiratory Device
Orthopedic
Device
Cardiovascular
Device
Biopsy
Diagnostics
Patient
Care Device
Injury Management
Surgical Equipment
Medical
information
Endoscopic Diagnosis
-Worldwide Radiation Detector Revenues by Application, Radiation Detection
Materials Markets-2011, NanoMarkets, LC
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
CAGR
Domestic Security
390
404
432
461
498
537
6.61%
Military
195
205
218
231
249
270
6.72%
Medical Imaging
664
666
716
769
830
897
6.20%
Nuclear Power
98
103
110
117
126
136
6.77%
Geophysical
92
98
104
111
120
130
7.16%
Others
165
181
196
215
236
257
9.27%
Total(M$)
1,604
1,657
1,776
1,904
2,059
2,227
6.78%
Market Size(Tril ion won)
1.764
1.823
1.954
2.095
2.265
2.450
1$=1,100₩
Unit: $1mil ion
Dialysis Equipment
Drug Delivery device
7
•
Sensor design technology
•
Sensor manufacturing process technology
§
Radiation detection sensor manufacturing technology
•
Electrical signal measuring technology in sensor
•
Optical signal measuring technology in sensor
§
Radiation detection sensor measurement technology
▶ Applications
▶ Examples of expected applications
• Highly efficient SiPM device design for high sensitivity sensing
• Medical imaging equipment that uses radiation sources such as X-ray or γ-ray or
design sensor devices that can directly detect radiations
• Design device that converts radiation into visible light region
▣ Applications and examples of expected applications
▣ Scope of Technology Transfer
•
SiPM device design technology
•
SiPM device processing technology
•
SiPM device measuring technology (electrical / optical)
§
Know-How technology
