ABSTRACT
Scintillation detectors have, during the last twenty years, experienced tremendous development. Several new detector materials with attractive properties have emerged, and previous materials have been further characterized and even improved. Dedicated research directed primarily from high-energy physics domains in search of better scintillation materials have enabled a more fundamental understanding of the energy-conversion steps inside the crystal lattice and the mechanisms responsible for poor energy resolution and sometimes slow emission of the scintillation light. A combination of fundamental research, new analytical tools and a trial-and-error approach in co-doping scintillators with minute amounts of various elements have developed a kind of band-gap engineering whereby poor energy resolution or the timing of the scintillation light dramatically can be improved. This chapter provides an overview of the development of the scintillation detector as well as the current status of the most promising scintillation materials, primarily viewed from a medical aspect when applicable.
