Amorphous Silicon Pixel

Detectors for Radiography

Gerhard Roos
Varian Imaging Products

Technology for people

Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Presentation Outline
¾ Background
¾ Operation
¾ Typical Specifications
¾ Current Applications and Trends
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Background
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Definition
¾ Large area integrating image detectors
¾ Deposition of amorphous silicon structures
on glass
¾ Inverse flat panel display
¾ Mostly used for medical radiographic imaging
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors
Flat Panel History

1985 to 90 – Theoretical studies and early research

-Xerox PARC, Varian, GE, Thomson, Philips, U. Mich. etc.
1991 – First small area functional prototypes
1993 – First full size (40 x 64 cm) prototypes
1997 – First commercial products announced
1998 – First production shipments
1998 – Cone Beam CT application published
2003 – First commercial CBCT products
2006 – Annual volume >8000 imagers
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors
a-Si as image detector
Advantages:
¾ Low cost per area, large area per device
¾ Radiation hard
¾ Good quantum efficiency
Disadvantages:
¾ Time response
¾ Uniformity
¾ Simple, relatively large pixel structures only
¾ Complex system implementation
 PaxScan 4030 Imager

Receptor:
14” x 16” x 1.5”- 2.5”
Fiber-optic data cable
24V dc power cable
Passive cooling

Command Processor:
10” x 11” x 2.5”
Real-time normalization
Recursive filter
Frame accumulation Power Supply:
X-ray generator control signals 10” x 11” x 2.75”
16 bit digital video output 5V/10A, 24V/3A
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Operation
 Indirect Conversion Imagers
x-ray photons

scintillator
Digital
board

a-Si array
base plate
Readout or Driver
IC in TAB package
Readout Driver board Readout
board board
 Indirect Conversion Imagers
- Sensor Schematic
Row 1
Gate Driver

Row 2

Row 3
Vbias

Readout ASIC
 Indirect Conversion Imagers
- Actual pixels
Data Line Bias Line

Row Line
TFT
Switch

One
Pixel

Photodiode
Commonly Used Scintillator Screens
Phosphor Cesium Iodide

Layer
Structure

Light
Spreading
 Direct Conversion Imagers
x-ray photons

Top electrode
ADC
photoconductor board
a Si -TFT array
base plate
Readout board
Driver board Driver board
 Direct Conversion Imagers
- Sensor Schematic
Row 1
Gate Driver

Row 2

Row 3
Vbias

Readout ASIC
 Typical signal readout
a-Si array readout chip
reset switch

Dynamic gain
Vgate Coverlap
Cfb switch

i2
Cdata1
_
sample
pin TFT Rdata vin2 Cin
diode Cpix Cdata2
+
Vbias Vref Preamp
Image Normalization Requirements
Thresholding

Offset & Gain

correction

Defective Recursive
Pixel Filter &
Replacement Accumulation
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Specifications
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors
Typical Specifications for Medical Flat Panels
¾ Entrance exposure: 5 nGy/frame to 50 µGy/frame
¾ High exposure DQE:
Š Diagnostic ~70% at 80 kV and ~40% at 125 kV
Š Therapy Portal Imaging ~2% at 6MV
¾ Photodiode quantum efficiency: ~80% (500 to 600 nm)
¾ Spatial resolution (10% MTF): 3.5 to 10 lp/min
¾ 12 to 17 bit A/D conversion
¾ Pixel time constant (Cpix x RTFT): 1 to 10 us
¾ Pixel size: 65 µm to 500 µm
¾ Pixel capacity: 0.5 to 50 pC
¾ Readout rate: >32 µs/line; 0.1 to 100 frames per second
¾ Dark current: <1 pA/mm2
¾ Active area: 200 x 200 mm to 430 x 430 mm
 Flat panel dynamic range

¾ Flat panel ¾ Charge amplifier ¾ A/D converter

Š noise ~1000 ē Š noise ~1700 ē Š < 16k range
Š Saturation ~ 60M ē Š Saturation ~ 12M ē
Š 60k range at 1x1 Š 7k range at 1x1
Š 120k range at 2x2 Š 10k range at 2x2
Multiple gain ranging flat panel read out
 Signal-to-noise performance
1000.0
Signal-to-Noise ratio

100.0

10.0

1.0
0.1 1.0 10.0 100.0 1000.0 10000.0
Dose rate (uR/frame)
 DQE in
Low Dose Fluoroscopy
PVD HgI2 imager #37
 Image lag
0.05 First
0.045 frame lag
Fraction of exposure (%)

0.04 4.7%
0.035
0.03
0.025
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
0
0 5 10 15 20
Time after exposure (s)
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Applications
 Cardiac Imaging
- Radiography and fluoroscopy
 DSA Images of the Liver
Flat panel imager Image intensifier

85kVp, 200mA, 80msec 85kVp, 200mA, 100msec

• Better contrast for imaging small blood
vessels, at 20% less dose
• Image quality is uniform out to the edges
Radiographic images
 Radiographic images
- direct vs. indirect conversion
Radiation Therapy

¾ Therapy Portal Imaging

¾ Orthogonal Radiography
and fluoroscopy
¾ Cone beam CT
CBCT scan
of a human head
MV Portal Images
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Also:
¾ Mamography and CT Mamography
¾ Wireless radiography
¾ Dental radiography and CT
¾ Security applications
¾ Industrial non-destructive testing
¾ Scientific research
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Image Detectors

Alternatives
Improved MV Sensitivity
- CsI array scintillator

CsI

Flat Panel Sensor

CsI array Scintillator
CsI array Scintillator
Prototype MV Imager
 Comparison

Conventional CsI Array Scintillator

Dose = 0.092 cGy Dose = 0.046 cGy

 Fast readout

Strip Detectors:
64 x 576
3.3 x 30 cm
520 µm pixel
1700 fps 1x1
3000 fps 2x2
Photon counting mode
Phase-2 Concept