Selective surface treatment of thallium bromide (tlbr)-based detectors to improve longevity and/or restore operational capacity thereof

Abstract

In various approaches room-temperature gamma detector longevity may be improved by selectively removing, or selectively incorporating, alternate halogen component(s) from select surfaces of the detector. According to one embodiment, a method of improving operational longevity of a thallium bromide (TlBr)-based detector includes: selectively treating one or more surfaces of the TlBr-based detector to produce a surface substantially comprising pure TlBr. Similar techniques may be employed to restore a degraded or failed detector. According to another embodiment, a method of forming a TlBr-based detector exhibiting improved operational longevity includes: selectively treating one or more surfaces of the TlBr-based detector to replace Br therein with one or more alternate halogen components while also substantially avoiding replacing some or all of the Br in other surfaces of the TlBr-based detector with the one or more alternate halogen components. Corresponding structures for TlBr-based detectors with improved longevity are also described.