Direct electron detection methods in electron microscopy

New types of low-noise electronic detection methods for biological high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy are essential to cope with large volumes of data. We discuss the use of direct detection methods in silicon, avoiding intermediate steps, e.g. energy conversion to light in a phosphor as used in CCD-based detectors. We present very promising results obtained with 60 and 120 keV electrons in a hybrid silicon pixel detector, Medipix1, containing 64×64 pixels, each 170 μm2. The main advantages of this technique over phosphor-based CCDs are in improved spatial resolution and faster, noiseless readout.