Timing characteristics of the inorganic scintillators coupled with SiPMs for the PET application

For the purpose to implement the single inorganic scintillator with the DOI detection capability for the PET/PEM devices, we have recently found a novel method by making a number of lateral notches in the scintillator surface. In this report we present some of the timing properties for such structured scintillator samples with the SiPM and the PMT coupled to each end. In case of the previously reported scintillator, LuAG:Pr for example, the timing resolution seemed to be not quite different between these detectors. In this measurement all the timing data were analyzed according as the belonging interaction regions between the notches, as well as the interaction types of the photoelectric and the scatter. The best timing fluctuation obtained by such measurement of the internal trigger mode was 1.07 ns, which is about the same as the result of 1.25 ns measured in the external trigger mode, the figures that are encouraging toward the future applications of SiPM to the TOF-PET by increasing its sensitivity.