We have developed a procedure to grow lead iodide (PbI2, 2H type) crystals using the Czochralski method applying an Ar counter pressure inside a fused silica chamber. The resulting crystal has a length of 3 cm and is free of cracks. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements demonstrate that the crystal grew along [1 1 (2) over bar 0] direction (c-axis perpendicular to growth direction), which was defined by the PbI2 seed. This means that a better control of the growth direction is possible using the Czochralski method. The EBSD patterns suggest a simplified preparation method of the very soft crystals using samples with a surface orientation perpendicular to (0 0 0 1). Rocking curves measured by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) indicate that the structural quality of the approximately 80% single crystalline material is comparable to Bridgman-Stockbarger-grown crystals. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.