Fabrication and characterization of ultra-flexible organometallic lead-halide perovskite based x-ray detectors

Ionizing radiation detection is of extreme importance for a large number of applications. X-rays are widely used in research as well as in medical diagnostic, therapy and public security. The largest demand for X-ray detectors comes from the medical field, where new low-cost materials enabling high sensitivity devices are needed to reduce the incident dose to the patient. Flexible devices, able to adapt itself to the patient's skin, can be used during continuous radiography monitoring. Such devices will improve patient comfort, portability and versatility of the diagnostic techniques. Solution-processed organometallic lead-halide perovskites are good candidates for the development of flexible X-ray detectors. The combination of high attenuation coefficient, due to the presence of heavy elements, and good electronic properties allows the fabrication of thin-film devices with high sensitivity. Moreover, these materials can be processed by the solution at low temperature enabling the possibility for low-cost large-area detectors. In this work a triple cation mixed halide perovskite, combined with a 1,4 micron thick PET, was used to create ultra-flexible direct X-ray detectors. The devices were tested under X-ray radiation up to 150keV showing a maximum normalized sensitivity of 10,6\pm0,8nCmGy^{-1}cm^{-2} and a limit of detection of 9,9\pm0,2\mu Gy/s, thus demonstrating the possibility of low-cost ultra-flexible passive X-ray detectors.