Principles and prospects of direct high resolution electron image acquisition with CMOS detectors at low energies

Two types of direct electron detectors, potentially useful in low energy electron microscopy and photoemission electron microscopy (LEEM/PEEM) experiments, are reviewed in this paper. Hybrid pixel detectors, using a silicon sensor and based on Medipix2 offer a high detective quantum efficiency, due to an essentially noiseless readout, but are technically challenging. Backthinned monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) are not noise-free but have other advantages as discussed in this review.