Abstract:
A field ionizing element formed of a membrane (99) that houses electrodes located closer to one another than the mean free path of the gas being ionized. The membrane includes a supporting section (106) and non-supporting section (130).
Abstract:
A method is provided of operating a mass spectrometer apparatus comprising a pair of quadrupole rod sets. Each quadrupole rod set is operated in a mass resolving mode. They may be operated in the same or different stability regions. The rod sets are operated to select essentially ions of the same mass to charge ratio, and are operated such that the combined resolution of the two rod sets is greater than the resolution of either rod set. The rod sets can be operated at relatively low resolution, with the combined peak shape from the two rod sets showing high resolution. This can make up for mechanical imperfections in the rod sets, losses due to high gas pressures, etc. A mass shift can be provided to give the desired resolution. The rod sets can be close coupled, and for this purpose neutralizing capacitors can be provided to prevent electrical interference between adjacent rod sets. The rod sets can be provided with the same frequency signal, which preferably is a phase locked and shifted, to give enhanced sensitivity.
Abstract:
A micromachined mass spectrometer (10) includes an ionizer (30), a separation region (32) and a detector (34). The ionizer (30) is formed from an upper electrode (36), a center electrode (38) and a lower electrode (40). Ionization (30) of a sample gas takes place around an edge (48) of the center electrode (38). Accelerating electrodes (54, 56) extract ionized particles from the ionizer (30). Ionized particles are accelerated through the separation region (32). A magnetic field is applied in a direction perpendicular to travel of the ionized particles through the separation region (32) causing the trajectory of the ionized particles to bend. The mass spectrometer (10) is formed using micromachined techniques and is carried on a single substrate (24).
Abstract:
A MEMS mass spectrometer having metal walls connected between a lid and base, with the walls defining a plurality of interior chambers including sample gas input chambers, an ionizer chamber, a plurality of ion optics chambers and a ion separation chamber. A detector array at the end of the ion separation chamber includes a plurality of V-shaped detector elements positioned along two parallel lines and arranged to intercept all of the ionized beams produced in the mass spectrometer.
Abstract:
A field ionizing element formed of a membrane that houses electrodes therein that are located closer to one another than the mean free path of the gas being ionized. The membrane includes a supporting portion, and a non supporting portion where the ions are formed. The membrane may be used as the front end for a number of different applications including a mass spectrometer, a rotating field mass spectrometer, a thruster, an ion mobility element, or an electrochemical device such as a fuel cell.
Abstract:
A solid state mass spectrograph includes an inlet, a gas ionizer, a mass filter and a detector array all formed within a cavity in a semiconductor substrate. The gas ionizer can be a solid state electron emitter with ion optics provided by electrodes formed on apertured partitions in the cavity forming compartments through which the cavity is evacuated by differential pumping. The mass filter is preferably a Wien filter with the magnetic field provided by a permanent magnet outside the substrate or by magnetic film on the cavity walls. The electric field of the Wien filter is provided by electrodes formed on walls of the cavity. The detector array is a linear array oriented in the dispersion plane of the mass filter and includes converging electrodes at the end of the cavity serving as Faraday cages which pass charge to signal generators such as charge coupled devices formed in the substrate but removed from the cavity.