BCR File

What are BCR files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BCR file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BCR files.

What is a BCR file?

A .BCR file is a BCR-STM SPM Data file.

The format stores raw data from scanning probe microscopy, especially scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), in a standardised way designed to allow easy data exchange between different instruments. It is used for image-like scans (height or other signal vs X/Y position) or multidimensional datasets when capturing surface structure at very small scales.

Files are produced by software that exports SPM/STM data, and by programs that read, visualize or process those scans. The data begins with a header section that specifies imaging parameters (number of pixels, scan dimensions, units), followed by the pixel data itself stored in 16-bit integers in little-endian order by default. Imaging parameters can include labels for axes (X, Y, Z), scan range (xlength, ylength), units (e.g. nanometres), bias voltage, tunnelling current, scan speed, start time, and optional void pixel indicator. Data pixels are scaled using a "bit2nm" factor if provided.

The file starts with a human-readable ASCII or UTF-16 header of fixed size (either 2048 or 4096 bytes). The very first line of the header must read "fileformat = bcrstm". Major tags in the header include xpixels and ypixels (pixel counts), xlength and ylength (scan range), xunit, yunit, zunit, possibly bias, current, scanspeed, etc. After the header, image data appear, matching the header's indicated dimensions. The format uses "voidpixels" tag: for 16-bit integer versions, void pixels are marked using the value 32767. The byte signature begins at offset zero as (in UTF-16 LE) "fileformat = bcrstm" starting 66-00 66-69 etc.

How to open BCR files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BCR file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BCR file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested five different BCR openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 23, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of BCR files. Remember, different programs may use BCR files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about BCR file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.