A filterless vacuum ultraviolet photoconductive detector based on neodymium fluoride thin films was demonstrated. The thin films were deposited on quartz glass substrates by the pulsed laser deposition. Crystallinity and photoconductivity were improved by controlling the substrate temperature. The sample grown at 670 K showed the highest photoconductivity. It responded to wavelengths shorter than 180 nm without any filters. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.