ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) scintillators for application in neutron detectors. This chapter presents an overview of the theoretical basis for neutron detection and neutron-versus-gamma discrimination. A discussion of the ZnO crystal growth techniques with particular emphasis on bulk melt growth and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is addressed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the effect of dopants on ZnO scintillator growth and performance. ZnO offers a material that is in many ways superior to the current state of the art neutron detectors.
