Cadmium zinc telluride （CdZnTe， CZT） crystals are highly valued in room-temperature radiation detection and HgCdTe infrared detection due to their exceptional physical properties. However， point defects， secondary phases， and dislocations formed during CZT crystals growth process significantly impact crystal quality and device performance. Research shows that well-designed annealing techniques can effectively reduce secondary phase density， control point defect concentrations， and improve crystal resistivity and carrier mobility-lifetime products. This review analyzes the mechanisms of defect formation in CZT crystals and systematically evaluates advancements in annealing technologies， including isothermal， gradient， step， device， in-situ， and solution annealing. The review also compares the merits and demerits of these annealing technologies and their effects on CZT performance， offering a guide for researchers. Future studies should focus on deepening annealing mechanism insights， developing new technologies， optimizing interface engineering， and implementing intelligent technologies to further enhance CZT crystal performance for high-performance radiation and infrared detection applications.