Thermo Fisher Releases High-Speed Electron Microscope Detector
The EMPAD 2 captures atomic data at 10,000 frames per second, enabling high-resolution ptychography for material science.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Materials Science
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Thermo Fisher Scientific recently made the Electron Microscope Pixel Array Detector (EMPAD) commercially available, enabling high-speed electron scattering imaging. Developed at Cornell University, this second-generation detector captures atomic-scale data at 10,000 frames per second.
Why it matters
The EMPAD addresses a longstanding bottleneck in electron microscopy where conventional detectors were overwhelmed by high-intensity electron beams. By enabling rapid data acquisition, it facilitates ptychography, a computational imaging technique that reconstructs high-resolution images from scattered electron patterns.
The EMPAD 2 captures up to 10,000 frames per second to process electron scattering patterns. The system is designed to handle extreme variations in signal intensity across its surface, allowing it to record both weak and strong signals simultaneously.
The players
Thermo Fisher Scientific
A global leader in scientific instrumentation and analytical technology that manufactures advanced electron microscopes.
Cornell University
A major research institution that developed the detector architecture through its advanced imaging laboratories.
The details
The detector works by recording scattering patterns produced when an electron beam passes through a material. By measuring these patterns, the system identifies missing atoms, material defects, and atomic vibrations that correlate with temperature variations. It supports ptychography, a method where computational algorithms process scattered signals to resolve atomic structures that would otherwise be obscured by beam intensity.
Timeline
2006: Researchers began exploring X-ray detector technology at Cornell University.
2016: The team demonstrated an early version of the detector.
2020: The second-generation EMPAD 2 was first developed.
August 2026: The EMPAD 2 iteration became commercially available.
The Tech Race
This release advances the field of high-speed atomic imaging by moving the technology out of university labs and into commercial production. It follows the trajectory established by the 2016 EMPAD demonstration at Cornell University, signaling a shift toward industry-wide adoption of ptychography.
Researchers and industrial material scientists can now integrate the EMPAD 2 into their workflows to identify atomic-level defects. With an annual production of 50 to 100 units, the technology is now accessible to high-end labs requiring precise measurement of material vibrations.
The takeaway
The commercial availability of this detector accelerates the use of ptychography for mapping atomic structures in three dimensions. Future research will focus on expanding these 3D imaging capabilities, which researchers aim to develop as the next milestone for the platform.
Further reading
For more advancements in the field, see the latest research in Materials Science.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cornell, Graduate Hotel Exchange Lawsuits After Roosevelt Island Hotel Closure - The Cornell Daily Sun.
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