Beta particle excited thermoluminescence of new ZnO:Ce phosphors

This work reports on the beta particle excited thermoluminescence (TL) of ZnO:Ce phosphors, synthesized through a controlled chemical precipitation reaction followed by thermal annealing at 900 °C in an air atmosphere during 24 h. The successful obtention of crystalline hexagonal zincite structure was confirmed by X-Ray diffraction. By milling ZnO:Ce powder precipitated during the reaction before carrying out the thermal annealing, there are improved reproducibility and enhanced TL features of interest for dosimetry. Ce doping strongly increases the TL sensitivity and leads to a simpler glow curve shape. The TL – dose response exhibits a linear behavior at least up to 128 Gy. The sensitivity of the synthesized ZnO:Ce is ca. 10³ times greater than that of undoped ZnO. The TL fades 22% two days after radiation exposure, and then it becomes negligible.