Characterization of the Timepix4 hybrid pixel detector and its impact on four-dimensional scanning transmission...

Advances in transmission electron microscopy are fundamentally driven by improvements in electron detection technology. Timepix4 is a novel hybrid pixelated detector that can operate in both Frame-based and Data-driven modes. The increased number of pixels, higher clock frequency, and faster frame rates with respect to its predecessors make this detector an ideal candidate for multi-purpose use in TEM, particularly for 4D STEM applications. This work provides a comprehensive experimental characterization of the Timepix4 detector for 60 and 200 keV electrons. Key characteristics investigated include cluster size, detector quantum efficiency, linearity, readout limits, and temporal response. The detector demonstrates reasonable spatial fidelity while offering flexible trade-offs between high per-pixel flux tolerance and per-event timing/zero-suppressed streaming. This detailed study aids in understanding the detector's performance in both operation modes and guides researchers in selecting optimal settings to maximize the detector's performance. Finally, two application results are presented: one utilizing Data-driven mode to acquire atomic resolution images, and the other using Frame-based mode to perform orientation maps on a polycrystalline specimen.