Application Note
Electron ptychography for atomic-scale defect analysis in two-dimensional materials
April 1, 2026
STEMx System
Model 1020
A powerful tool that expands the utility of your Gatan camera to address 4D STEM diffraction studies.
Advantages
Introducing STEMx®, a powerful tool that adds 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) diffraction capabilities to your existing Gatan camera (K3® IS, Metro® camera series, ClearView® IS, OneView® IS, Rio® 16 IS, or Stela®*) and GIF Continuum®. 4D STEM is the capture of a full 2D diffraction pattern at each pixel position in a 2D STEM map.
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Unmatched 4D STEM across platforms
Use the STEM spectrum imaging (SI) technique in DigitalMicrograph® to set up the experimental parameters, then start acquisition, and one diffraction pattern is automatically recorded for each STEM probe position via hardware synchronization through the STEMx box. Using the STEM SI technique, EELS, EDS, or CL signals are combined and collected simultaneously or consequentially from the same area of the specimen (acquisition mode dependent). Similarly, you can collect 5D STEM datasets (4D STEM + time) using the 4D STEM in-situ package. Such multimodal, linked data acquisition allows morphological and structural analysis via diffraction imaging and chemical and compositional analysis via spectroscopy and allows for a more conclusive analysis of your specimens.
To ensure you get the most out of your information-rich 4D datasets, STEMx offers integrated analysis tools. This includes:
Datasheet
Applications
Unlock the power of electron microscopy with Gatan—explore cutting-edge applications, dive into expert-led webinars, and discover insights through detailed application notes that fuel scientific breakthroughs.
Application Note
Real-space mapping of deuterated polymers using dark-field EELS
March 1, 2026
Application Note
Energy-filtered 4D STEM reveals short-range ordering motifs in semiconductors
December 1, 2025
Application Note
Nanobeam strain analysis using STEMx system and your existing Gatan in-situ camera
March 1, 2025
Application Note
The effect of convergence angle on strain measurement precision
February 1, 2025
Media Gallery
Immerse yourself in the world of scientific discovery—explore striking microscopy images that reveal the unseen, alongside videos and tutorials showcasing Gatan technology in action.
4D STEM and virtual aperture imaging
A 4D STEM diffraction data cube collected using the Stela camera and STEMx system. Specimen: Au nanoparticles. Scan area: 176 x 218 pixels, Diffraction image size: 256 x 256 pixels. Dwell time: 5 ms. Color map showing grain orientations classified based on the angular position of the maximum diffraction peak per probe position using a DigitalMicrograph script.
4D STEM operating principle
Metro captures 4D STEM data with sharper detail and less background noise; it can collect a 128 x 128 (scan) x 512 x 512 (pattern) dataset in half a minute. This color image is a map of the brightest spot orientation and intensity from such a dataset. The material is boron nitride. The color hue in the map specifies the direction from center of the strongest spot in each diffraction pattern, while the brightness corresponds to the intensity of the peak.
The new STEMx OIM package brings orientation mapping analysis to the STEMx integrated software tools. This is done by comparing the diffraction pattern at each pixel position to a set of simulated patterns for all phases and orientations in your specimen. Orientation data can even be exported to the EDAX OIM Analysis software for further processing.
Orientation map generated with STEMx OIM showing {111} texture of annealed Au thin film. Energy-filtered 4D STEM data was collected using a GIF Continuum with Stela system at 200 kV. Sample courtesy of J. Kacher, GA Tech.
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