The Development of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Crystal Growth Technologies and Their Applications in Neutron Detection

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), a wide-bandgap semiconductor with excellent thermal stability, high electrical resistivity, and strong neutron absorption capacity, has attracted growing interest in the field of solid-state neutron detection. This review summarizes the progress in h-BN crystal growth technologies, including HPHT, CVD, and flux methods, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Among them, flux growth stands out for its simplicity and scalability in producing high-quality, large-area single crystals. The application potential of h-BN in next-generation neutron detectors is also discussed, along with key challenges such as ¹⁰B enrichment, crystal quality, and device integration.