High Dynamic Range Electron Imaging: The New Standard

Transmission electron microscopes regularly produce data which has a dynamic range that exceeds the capabilities of the recording media used, particularly in diffraction patterns. Hardware solutions such as readable phosphor imaging plates have existed since the 1990s, but in recent years the advent of robust CCD digital cameras capable of capturing high intensities in a transmission electron microscope has made image acquisition fast and straightforward. However, all CCD cameras have a saturation limit, making imaging of low intensities difficult when an image is dominated by strong features. Here we present a simple and effective tool to overcome this limitation through acquisition of multiple images and software processing to produce high dynamic range electron images.