New techniques are proposed for the handling and fabrication of scintillating crystal radiation detectors such as NaI(Tl), which is highly valued because of its exceptionally good energy resolution. This crystal, as well as others used for radiation detection, is extremely fragile and hygroscopic. It is grown, cleaved, and packaged in a dry atmosphere. The new techniques proposed include the use of water free, liquid bathes for cleaning and handling, and optical gels for packaging and mechanical shock isolation. In addition, it is proposed to fabricate larger detectors from irregularly shaped by-product crystals. The possible benefits of the proposed work are: (1) less expensive detectors for radiation measurements; (2) easier to handle detectors; and (3) larger detectors than previously available for high energy photon measurements.
