The present invention relates to a method of mass spectrometry, an apparatus adapted to perform the method and a mass spectrometer. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a method of mass spectrometry comprising the step of associating parent and fragmentation ions from a sample by measuring the parent and fragmentation ions from two or more different areas of the sample and identifying changes in the number of parent ions between the areas in the sample, and corresponding changes in the number of fragmentation ions between the two areas.

An electron spectrometer includes: an energy analyzer section that energy-analyzes electrons emitted from a specimen; a micro-channel plate that amplifies the electrons analyzed by the energy analyzer section; a fluorescent screen that converts the electrons amplified by the micro-channel plate into light; a camera that photographs the fluorescent screen; and an effective range calculation section that calculates an effective range of the fluorescent screen within a camera image photographed by the camera, the effective range calculation section performing a process that acquires a plurality of the camera images photographed while causing the energy analyzer section to analyze the electrons with a different center energy, a process that converts the plurality of camera images respectively into a plurality of spectra, and a process that calculates the effective range of the fluorescent screen within the camera image based on the plurality of spectra.

An electron spectrometer includes: an energy analyzer section that energy-analyzes electrons emitted from a specimen; a micro-channel plate that amplifies the electrons analyzed by the energy analyzer section; a fluorescent screen that converts the electrons amplified by the micro-channel plate into light; a camera that photographs the fluorescent screen; and an effective range calculation section that calculates an effective range of the fluorescent screen within a camera image photographed by the camera, the effective range calculation section performing a process that acquires a plurality of the camera images photographed while causing the energy analyzer section to analyze the electrons with a different center energy, a process that converts the plurality of camera images respectively into a plurality of spectra, and a process that calculates the effective range of the fluorescent screen within the camera image based on the plurality of spectra.

An adjustable aerodynamic lens system for aerodynamic focusing of aerosols comprises a hollow tube having an inlet terminal, an outlet terminal and a focusing segment located between the inlet terminal and the outlet terminal. The focusing segment includes a plurality of section tubes assembled in a manner to selectively focus aerosols of a specific average size. Each of the section tubes has a focusing orifice, and the diameters of the two adjacent focusing orifices are different. In specific, the section tubes having their focusing orifices of appropriate diameters are chosen according to the average size of aerosol particles to be focused, and assembled in sequence, so as to make aerosol fluid passing through to form a beam of aerosol particles with good focusing quality.

An adjustable aerodynamic lens system for aerodynamic focusing of aerosols comprises a hollow tube having an inlet terminal, an outlet terminal and a focusing segment located between the inlet terminal and the outlet terminal. The focusing segment includes a plurality of section tubes assembled in a manner to selectively focus aerosols of a specific average size. Each of the section tubes has a focusing orifice, and the diameters of the two adjacent focusing orifices are different. In specific, the section tubes having their focusing orifices of appropriate diameters are chosen according to the average size of aerosol particles to be focused, and assembled in sequence, so as to make aerosol fluid passing through to form a beam of aerosol particles with good focusing quality.

Apparatuses (41, 91, 111, 115, 121, 151) and methods (31) for time-of-flight mass spectrometry providing effective pulsed conversion of continuous ion beams into pulsed ion packets is disclosed. Bunching of energetic continuous ion beams forms ion packets, which are filtered by a subsequent isochronous energy filter (49, 79, 81-84, 110). The bunching method is particularly suitable for ion sources with relatively large spatial emittance, otherwise unable to fir the acceptance of orthogonal accelerators. The method is particularly suitable for multi-reflecting TOF MS, which accommodates small size ion packets and where the duty cycle advantage of orthogonal accelerators is minor.

The disclosed techniques relate to a residual gas analyzer, in particular for analyzing a residual gas in an EUB projection exposure apparatus, including a mass spectrometer and an admission device for admitting ionized constituents of the residual gas from a vacuum environment into the mass spectrometer. The admission device includes an ion decelerator, with the ion decelerator having an adjustable deceleration voltage in order to subject the ionized constituents to selection with respect to kinetic energy before being transferred into the mass spectrometer. The disclosed techniques also relate to a projection exposure apparatus including such a residual gas analyzer, and a method for residual gas analysis.

Methods and systems for automatically tuning an EELS spectrometer according to the present disclosure include obtaining an initial measurement of an EELS spectrum, generating an simulated EELS spectrum fit to the initial measurement of the EELS spectrum, and estimating one or more values of one or more aberration parameters based on the simulated EELS spectrum. Then, using the value(s) of the aberration parameter(s) to tune the optical elements of the EELS spectrometer to remove and/or reduce aberrations in the EELS system.

Methods and systems for automatically tuning an EELS spectrometer according to the present disclosure include obtaining an initial measurement of an EELS spectrum, generating an simulated EELS spectrum fit to the initial measurement of the EELS spectrum, and estimating one or more values of one or more aberration parameters based on the simulated EELS spectrum. Then, using the value(s) of the aberration parameter(s) to tune the optical elements of the EELS spectrometer to remove and/or reduce aberrations in the EELS system.

Methods and systems for automatically tuning a charged particle system are disclosed. This includes obtaining an initial image of a probe spot, generating a simulated probe spot to fit to the initial image of the probe spot, estimating a value of an aberration parameter based on the simulated probe spot, and tuning the charged particle system based on the value of the aberration parameter.