TOTEM

One of the greatest technological challenges in the production of medical radioisotopes by cyclotron consists precisely in the development of a target capable of withstanding the highest possible current during irradiation, in order to increase the production yield. For this, the technique for producing a solid target must ensure adequate thermal contact between the material of interest and the support material to promote heat dissipation.

Among the various technologies used in the literature, Magnetron Sputtering (MS) appears to be the most versatile because:

• it allows dense and thick films to be obtained;
• ensures excellent adhesion of the material on different substrates;
• allows a wide range of materials, from metals to ceramic materials, to be used as backing.

However, the biggest problem with the standard MS technique is the high loss of the material to be deposited during the process (about 80%). This is not convenient when very expensive materials, such as isotopically enriched ones, are used. The TOTEM project therefore aims to enhance the advantages of the MS technique by studying an alternative configuration for depositing thick films, reducing production waste as much as possible.

In addition, the target produced with the MS technique is associated with the use of an ad hoc dissolution system.