The etching behavior of fission fragment tracks in synthetic quartz plates concerning to +x, y and z planes was studied using NaOH solution as an etchant. Systematic experiments gave an optimum etching condition of 65% NaOH at 150°C suitable for track detection. Under this etching condition, following several properties were studied; the bulk etching rate, the etched track opening shape and its growth rate, the critical angle of track etching, and the irradiation effect of low LET radiation. All of three different cuts were demonstrated to be useful for plates as fission track detectors. An application to neutron detection was studied for the +x-plane of an x-cut plate. The detection sensitivity of the plane in close contact with a Th-radiator was 2.7×10−6 tracks/fluence for 14 MeV neutrons.