Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a scintillator according to the proposed technology. The method includes providing a basic scintillator structure having micromechanical features, the basic scintillator structure having a front and a back. The method also includes applying a reflector on the front of the basic scintillator structure, and opening the back of the basic scintillator structure to create a scintillator having open ended micromechanical features.