Forum 05/01/2003

“New Generation of CCD cameras for Cryo-Electron Microscopy Applications”

Ming Pan, Product Manager – Digital Imaging, Gatan Inc.

The detection of high-energy electrons by a CCD sensor is a chain process involving three major steps, (1) electron-photon conversion (scintillation); (2) photon transfer and (3) photon-CCD electron conversion and digitization.  Resolution loss (spatial) occurs in each of these steps.  Parameters influencing the resolution loss include electron energy, chemical composition and thickness of the scintillator, optical nature and characteristics of the photon transfer process.
Using advanced optical technology and the state-of-the-art CCD readout electronics, the new generation of UltraScan CCD cameras (2k x 2k and 4kx4k) improves the overall point-spread function (PSF) and detection efficiency of high-energy electrons.
In this presentation, the performance of UltraScan CCD cameras in cryo-electron microscopy applications will be discussed.