SMD chip resistors as reliable thermoluminescent dosimeters: Dosimetric characterization and TL kinetics study

Abstract

The ubiquity of surface mount devices (SMDs), such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, in portable electronic devices and their sensitivity to ionizing radiation have made them an attractive area of study in luminescence dosimetry. While the optically stimulated luminescence of these components has been extensively studied, the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of SMDs remain relatively understudied. This investigation includes glow curve deconvolution of SMD chip resistors to analyze their kinetics and dosimetric suitability. We found that aluminosilicates are the primary material responsible for the TL signal, and the application of a suitable optical filter significantly enhances detection sensitivity. The glow curves exhibited two distinct peaks at ∼92 °C and 365 °C, and an overlapping peak near 205 °C. The 205 °C peak, unaffected by sensitization effects, was selected for detailed analysis. The resistors demonstrated a linear dose response over a range of 86 mGy to 10 Gy, with a minimum detectable dose of 12.57 mGy. We also found that preheating the resistors reduces signal fading by about 22 %. Our analysis of TL kinetic parameters using the glow curve deconvolution revealed the coexistence of discrete and continuous energy traps, which is consistent with results from T_m-T_stop analysis. The single aliquot regenerative-dose technique was used to accurately recover the dose, demonstrating that SMD chip resistors can serve as reliable TL dosimeters for measuring past radiation exposure.