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Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences

BISMUTH GERMANATE
Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO)

Bismuth Germanate Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) crystals are scintillation material widely used in high energy physics, nuclear physics, PET and many other fields.

Crystal Growth Lab of the Institute produces large size BGO crystal parts for years. The BGO crystals are grown by the original Low Thermal Gradient Czochralski technique, which was developed in the Institute for growth of nearly perfect oxide crystals.

Ultra-High Purity bismuth oxide produced in the NIIC is used for crystal growth. Control of all stages of bismuth oxide synthesize provides reproducible high radiation hardness of crystal, which depends on the presence of sub ppm impurities.

The advantages of BGO produced by the NIIC are as follows:

Ingot sizes: up to 130 mm in diameter and up to 450 mm in length
Energy resolution: FWHM ~9.0—9.8% at 662 keV γ-rays for 2'' dia. × 6'' height BGO cylinders
Transmission properties: The attenuation length about 7—15 m at λ=480 nm for top quality material
Radiation hardness: BGO with light output degradation not more then 15—30% under gamma 106 rad dose is available

Examples of supplies of BGO crystals for scientific projects:

  • Crystals for the BGO veto shield for the Imager IBIS as one of two main gamma-ray instruments on board of the ESA mission INTEGRAL (The INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory). In orbit The shielded area is about 8000 cm2. Until now in orbit.
  • Crystals for the BGO anticoincidence system of the PoGOLite balloon-borne soft gamma-ray polarimeter successfully launched in 2013. Total crystal mass is more 300 kg.
  • 12 600 crystals for 4π EM-calorimeter installed at Tohoku University in 2010-2013 (>1800 kg totally).
  • Radiation hard BGO crystals for ASTRO-H astronomy satellite to be launched in 2015/2016 under development by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with participation ESA and NASA. Total crystal mass is about 400 kg.

Examples of crystals parts:

Contact Information

  • E-mail: ,
  • tel/fax: 7 (383) 330-7230

Contacts

Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS
Acad. Lavrentyev ave., 3, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
Scientific secretary of Institute
Gerasko Olga Anatolievna, Doctor of chemical sciences
Phone: +7(383) 330-94-86
+7(383) 330-94-89
E-mail:
Web-page: http://www.niic.nsc.ru/en/