Project description
Innovative semiconductors for X-ray imaging with reduced health impact
The use of X-ray imaging in medical, security and scientific fields is on the rise. However, this also increases exposure to ionising X-rays, which can directly impact health. With this in mind, the ERC-funded X-PECT project aims to develop materials that facilitate more sensitive X-ray detectors, thereby reducing operational radiation doses. Metal halide perovskite (MHP) semiconductors show promise for sensitive X-ray detection due to their high-energy solid X-ray absorption and efficient charge carrier generation and transport. X-PECT intends to create highly sensitive and sustainable lead-free MHPs to mitigate X-ray-related health risks. The project will process selected candidate materials into a stable, scalable pixelated X-ray demonstrator device, expected to offer a 20- to 50-fold improvement in sensitivity and resolution.
Objective
X-rays are widely applied in medical diagnostics, security screening and scientific research. The growing demand for X-ray imaging has increased the frequency with which humans are exposed to ionizing X-rays, directly increasing radiation-related health risks. To minimize these health risks, X-PECT aims to rationally design materials that enable more sensitive X-ray detectors, thus allowing the use of lower operational radiation doses. Metal halide perovskite (MHP) semiconductors have emerged as a highly promising material class for sensitive X-ray detection. Besides their easy processing, the popularity of MHPs arises from their outstanding optoelectronic properties, such as strong high-energy X-ray absorption, and efficient charge carrier generation and transport, outperforming current market standards. However, the intrinsic instability and toxicity of popular lead-based MHPs hinders their large-scale application in sustainable X-ray technology. X-PECT aims for a fundamental understanding of the intrinsic strengths and limitations of MHPs as photoactive material for X-ray detection. In this context, X-PECT will address urging scientific hurdles related to toxicity, structural and chemical stability, intrinsic charge carrier transport efficiency, and processing efforts. The ultimate goal of X-PECT is to rationally develop highly sensitive, sustainable lead-free MHPs through micromanaging their electronic structure by composition and dimensionality engineering. Tailoring their functionality will be guided by applying a full arsenal of both established characterization techniques and unique (micro)spectroscopy platforms for the full assessment of the structural and photophysical properties to identify and suppress the factor(s) currently limiting the X-ray sensitivity and stability. Ultimately, selected candidate materials will be processed into a stable, scalable pixelated X-ray demonstrator device with a 20- to 50-fold improved sensitivity and resolution.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringtransportation engineering
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
3000 Leuven
Belgium