Direct single electron detection with a CMOS detector for electron microscopy

We report the results of an investigation into the use of a monolithic active pixel sensor (MAPS) for electron microscopy. MAPS, designed originally for astronomers at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, was installed in a 120 kV electron microscope (Philips CM12) at the MRC Laboratory in Cambridge for tests which included recording single electrons at 40 and 120 keV, and measuring signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), spatial resolution and radiation sensitivity. Our results show that, due to the excellent SNR and resolution, it is possible to register single electrons. The radiation damage to the detector is apparent with low doses and gets progressively greater so that its lifetime is limited to 600,000–900,000 electrons/pixel (very approximately 10–15 krad). Provided this detector can be radiation hardened to reduce its radiation sensitivity several hundred fold and increased in size, it will provide excellent performance for all types of electron microscopy.