Improving the structural, optical, and electronic properties of bulk CZT remains a topic of great interest for producing high quality nuclear imaging material. Consideration must be given to the thermal environment under which crystal growth is carried out. It is important that the furnace and insulation elements are chosen and arranged to promote a convex solid liquid interface. Results are presented for 50 mm CZT ingots grown using furnace elements, which have been shown to be conducive to a convex SLI. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.