Lead iodide films as X-ray sensors tested in the mammography energy region

We present an alternative method for the deposition of thin films of lead iodide (PbI2), which is a promising semiconductor candidate for applications in medical digital radiography. The spray pyrolysis technique enables the fabrication of thick films with a deposition rate of about 3.3 Ås−1. We investigate the influence of the main deposition parameters on the final properties of the films. They were substrate temperature from 150 up to 270 °C and nozzle-spray distance to substrate from 13.0 to 16.5 cm. The films were mainly investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Also, electrical characterizations were made in the dark as a function of temperature, and with the samples submitted to X-ray exposures in the energy range of mammography diagnosis.