Results from a nuclear microprobe analysis of selected rare earth fluor materials

Until recently, it was difficult to measure properties of individual fluor grains. The development of an accelerator-based nuclear microprobe, currently available at the Louisiana Accelerator Center (LAC), has made this type of research possible. Using ion beams as small as 1 /spl times/ 1 /spl mu/m (horizontal /spl times/ vertical extent), it is now possible to measure properties of individual fluor grains. Starting in 2000, a research program was initiated to determine the microscopic fluorescence properties for selected rare earth compounds, like Y/sub 2/O/sub 2/S:Eu. Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) was used to characterize individual fluor grains. Individual Y/sub 2/O/sub 2/S:Eu grains are clearly visible in the analysis and are less than 10 /spl mu/m in extent.