Development of silicon-on-insulator direct electron detector with analog memories in pixels for sub-microsecond imaging.

We have developed a high-speed recordable direct electron detector based on silicon-on-insulator technology. The detector has 16 analog memories in each pixel to record 16 images with sub-microsecond temporal resolution. A dedicated data acquisition system has also been developed to display and record the results on a personal computer.

Performance of a silicon-on-insulator direct electron detector in a low-voltage transmission electron microscope.

The performance of a direct electron detector using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology in a low-voltage transmission electron microscope (LVTEM) is evaluated. The modulation transfer function and detective quantum efficiency of the detector are measured under backside illumination. The SOI-type detector is demonstrated to have high sensitivity and high efficiency for the direct detection of low-energy electrons.

X-ray beam stabilization at BL-17A, the protein microcrystallography beamline of the Photon Factory.

BL-17A is a new structural biology beamline at the Photon Factory, Japan. The high-brilliance beam, derived from the new short-gap undulator (SGU#17), allows for unique protein crystallographic experiments such as data collection from microcrystals and structural determination using softer X-rays. However, microcrystal experiments require robust beam stability during data collection and minor fluctuations could not be ignored.

Development of an X-ray HARP-FEA detector system for high-throughput protein crystallography.

A new detector system for protein crystallography is now being developed based on an X-ray HARP-FEA (high-gain avalanche rushing amorphous photoconductor-field emitter array), which consists of an amorphous selenium membrane and a matrix field emitter array. The combination of the membrane avalanche effect with a single driven FEA has several advantages over currently available area detectors, including higher sensitivity, higher spatial resolution and a higher frame rate. Preliminary evaluation of the detector has been carried out and its effectiveness has been confirmed.