With recent technical advances in spectroscopic imaging using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) performed in an aberration-corrected STEM, we are now able to study the chemical and electronic structures of materials with atomic-resolution [1]. Challenges, however, remain; particularly for applications that require short acquisition times or those that are limited to low electron dose such as the mapping of beam sensitive materials. Improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of spectra

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... rded under low-dose conditions is, therefore, imperative for a range of spectroscopic applications. Here, we demonstrate the use and benefits of a direct electron detector (DED) for atomic-resolution spectroscopic mapping. Compared to traditional indirect detectors, these DEDs use active pixel sensor technology for direct detection of electrons without the use of an intermediate scintillator. As a result, DEDs offer improved detective quantum efficiency (DQE), narrow point spread function (PSF), and superior SNRs in dose-limited imaging applications [2][3][4].