Cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum garnet (GAGG:Ce) crystal has excellent comprehensive properties and good future application prospects

According to different chemical compositions, inorganic scintillation crystals can be divided into two categories: oxide scintillator and halide scintillator. Cerium-doped gadolinium gallium aluminum garnet (GAGG:Ce) crystal belongs to oxide scintillator. Cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum garnet crystal is a new type of inorganic scintillation crystal with the advantages of high density, fast attenuation, high light output, no self-radiation, and high energy resolution. Based on its unique advantages, cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystal shows good application prospects in the fields of nuclear medical imaging, safety inspection, nuclear physics, space exploration, geological exploration, homeland security and other fields.

Scintillation crystal is the basis of the detector, and its performance will directly determine the imaging quality, work efficiency and sensitivity of CT and PET/CT. In recent years, as residents’ awareness of health and safety increases, low-dose green CT has gradually become the development trend of medical CT. , in this context, the demand for scintillation materials with higher light output is growing. Cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystal is currently the scintillation material with the highest light output reported at home and abroad, and it shows great application potential in the field of green CT.

Cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystal has great application potential and global R&D enthusiasm is high. In the international market, relevant research institutions for cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystal include Tohoku University in Japan, University of Tennessee in the United States, Technical University of Munich, and AXEL Company in South Korea. etc.; in the domestic market, research institutions related to cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals include Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Precision Machinery, Institute of Crystallography, Chongqing Acousto-Optic Electronics Company, etc.

According to the “2022-2026 China Cerium-Doped Gadolinium Aluminum Garnet (GAGG:Ce) Crystal Market Feasibility Research Report》 shows that the thermal conductivity of cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals is low. During the growth and cooling process, the crystals are easily cracked. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to prepare large-sized cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals with excellent performance. , in 2019, Chongqing Acoustic Optoelectronics Company made a breakthrough in relevant preparation technology, grew the largest cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum garnet crystal at home and abroad, and achieved stable batch production.

Cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum garnet crystal is one of the key scintillation crystals for high-end CT and PET/CT. In recent years, with the support of international policies, my country’s mid- and low-end CT has gradually realized localization, but high-end market demand still relies on imports. Carrying out research and development of cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals is of great significance to promoting the high-end and international development of domestic CT and PET/CT equipment. Under the general trend of domestic substitution, the market development prospects of cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals good.

Industry analysts said that cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystal is a new type of inorganic scintillation crystal. It has high light output, no self-radiation, With advantages such as high resolution, cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystal shows good application prospects in nuclear medicine imaging, safety inspection, geological exploration and other fields. At present, my country has made breakthroughs in the preparation technology of large-size cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals. With the high-end development of domestic CT and PET/CT equipment, the commercial application scale of cerium-doped gadolinium-gallium aluminum garnet crystals will be further expanded.