An article inspection device, comprising: a x-ray machine; a collimation unit for shaping x-rays generated by the x-ray machine into a sector beam to project an article; a transmission detector array for detecting the x-rays transmitting through the article so as to form a two-dimensional image of the article; and a scattering detector array characterized in the scattering detector array comprising a plurality of same scattering detector modules (Bi,j) arranged in a matrix of i-rows and j-columns, wherein a transmission cross section of the article transmitted by the x-rays is divided into a plurality of same sub-regions (Ai,j) arranged in a matrix of i-rows and j-columns, wherein the plurality of scattering detector modules (Bi,j) arranged in i-rows and j-columns correspond to the plurality of sub-regions arranged in i-rows and j-columns one by one for detecting pair production effect annihilation photons and Compton-effect scattering photons from the respective sub-regions produced by the x-rays, wherein obtaining atomic numbers of the respective sub-regions based on a ratio of the pair production effect annihilation photon count to the Compton-effect scattering photon count, so as to form a three-dimensional image of the article, wherein 'i' is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2, and 'j' is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2, wherein each of the scattering detector modules comprises: a detector (B11_1); and a collimator (B11_2) for absorbing the pair production effect annihilation photons and the Compton-effect scattering photons (A11_1) from other sub-regions not corresponding to the collimator to permit only the pair production effect annihilation photons and the Compton-effect scattering photons from the one sub-region corresponding to the collimator to enter the detector. a x-ray machine; a collimation unit for shaping x-rays generated by the x-ray machine into a sector beam to project an article; a transmission detector array for detecting the x-rays transmitting through the article so as to form a two-dimensional image of the article; and a scattering detector array characterized in the scattering detector array comprising a plurality of same scattering detector modules (Bi,j) arranged in a matrix of i-rows and j-columns, wherein a transmission cross section of the article transmitted by the x-rays is divided into a plurality of same sub-regions (Ai,j) arranged in a matrix of i-rows and j-columns, wherein the plurality of scattering detector modules (Bi,j) arranged in i-rows and j-columns correspond to the plurality of sub-regions arranged in i-rows and j-columns one by one for detecting pair production effect annihilation photons and Compton-effect scattering photons from the respective sub-regions produced by the x-rays, wherein obtaining atomic numbers of the respective sub-regions based on a ratio of the pair production effect annihilation photon count to the Compton-effect scattering photon count, so as to form a three-dimensional image of the article, wherein 'i' is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2, and 'j' is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2, wherein each of the scattering detector modules comprises: a detector (B11_1); and a collimator (B11_2) for absorbing the pair production effect annihilation photons and the Compton-effect scattering photons (A11_1) from other sub-regions not corresponding to the collimator to permit only the pair production effect annihilation photons and the Compton-effect scattering photons from the one sub-region corresponding to the collimator to enter the detector. a detector (B11_1); and a collimator (B11_2) for absorbing the pair production effect annihilation photons and the Compton-effect scattering photons (A11_1) from other sub-regions not corresponding to the collimator to permit only the pair production effect annihilation photons and the Compton-effect scattering photons from the one sub-region corresponding to the collimator to enter the detector.