Thin silicon strip devices for direct electron detection in transmission electron microscopy

Indirect imaging detection systems used in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) impose a range of restrictions limiting performance that can be easily surpassed with direct sensing devices. A set of generic requirements is presented here first, illustrating the present detection needs and setting the context for further development in electron detection at TEM energy range. The use of directly exposed Si strip detectors in TEM is then investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulation of the electron–sensor interaction, showing that a sensitive layer with a thickness in the range of 50 μm is needed to achieve satisfactory efficiency. The results obtained here strongly indicate that improved performance would be achieved by replacing current indirect imaging systems with directly exposed thin Si strip detectors.