Chapter/Index: Introduction | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Appendix
| CCD sensors with phosphor and fiber-optic coupling are an early technology in electron microscopy (EM). This setup involves using a phosphor layer that converts high-energy electron signals into light photons. These photons are then channeled through fiber-optic coupling to the CCD sensor, which captures the image. This method was necessary because CCD sensors are prone to damage when exposed directly to electron beams. While CCDs with phosphor and fiber-optic coupling allowed real-time observation and avoided the delays associated with photographic film, they had limited Detective Quantum Efficiency (DQE), especially at higher electron energies (e.g., 300 keV). This meant the quality and sensitivity of images captured with CCDs were often inferior to those captured on film, particularly in high-resolution applications. Advances in CMOS/MAPS technology have largely surpassed this older CCD approach due to improvements in radiation tolerance, noise reduction, and the ability to achieve higher DQE.
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