A mass spectrometer may have an ion source region including an ion generator configured to generate ions from a sample, an ion detector configured to detect ions and produce corresponding ion detection signals, an electric field-free drift region disposed between the ion source region and the ion detector through which the generated ions drift axially toward the ion detector, a plurality of spaced-apart charge detection cylinders disposed in the drift region and through which the ions drifting axially through the drift region pass, and a plurality of charge amplifiers each coupled to a different one of the plurality of charge detection cylinders and each configured to produce a charge detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of charge of one or more of the generated ions passing through a respective one of the plurality of charge detection cylinders.

An analysis method includes: obtaining n×m pieces of map data by repeating, m times, a map measurement in which n pieces of map data are obtained by scanning a specimen with a primary probe to detect electrons emitted from the specimen with an electron spectrometer, while measurement energy ranges of an analyzer are varied; and generating a spectral map in which a position on the specimen is associated with a spectrum based on the n×m pieces of map data, the measurement energy ranges of m times of the map measurement not overlapping each other.

Scientific analytical equipment including apparatus and methods for detecting and quantitating particles, and particularly ions generated in the course of mass spectroscopy. In one version, a particle detection apparatus includes electron emissive surfaces which emit secondary electrons in response to impact with a particle, the apparatus maintaining spatial separation between: (i) secondary electrons emitted as a result of the impact of a first particle in a first region of the electron emissive surface; and (ii) secondary electrons emitted as a result of the impact of a second particle in a second region of the electron emissive surface.

A pulse shaping circuit for a spectrometer comprises a circuit input terminal for receiving detector pulses from an analog ion detector, a flip-flop for receiving detector pulses from the circuit input terminal, a delay unit for receiving output pulses from the flip-flop and feeding delayed output pulses to a reset input terminal of said flip-flop, and a circuit output terminal for supplying the output pulses or the delayed output pulses to a counter. The duration of the output pulses and the minimum duration of the interval between the output pulses is determined by the delay unit. The pulse shaping circuit may comprise at least one Schmitt trigger.

An ion detector includes: a first electron multiplier for detecting first ions having a first polarity; a second electron multiplier for detecting second ions having a second polarity different from the first polarity; a first anode for capturing electrons emitted from the first electron multiplier; a second anode for capturing electrons emitted from the second electron multiplier; and a switching circuit including a first input terminal electrically connected to the first anode, a second input terminal electrically connected to the second anode, and an output terminal, the switching circuit selectively connecting one of the first input terminal and the second input terminal to the output terminal.

A secondary ion mass spectrometer comprising a primary ion beam device, and means for collecting, mass filtering and subsequently detecting secondary ions released from a sample due to the sample having been impacted by a plurality of primary ion beams. The secondary ion mass spectrometer is remarkable in that it uses a plurality of primary ion beams in parallel for scanning the surface of the sample.

Provided are a scintillator and the like capable of improving emission intensity. A scintillator (S) comprises a sapphire substrate (6), a GaN layer (4) that is provided on the incident side to the sapphire substrate (6) and includes GaN, a quantum well structure (3) provided on the incident side to the GaN layer (4), and a conductive layer (2) provided on the incident side to the quantum well structure (3), wherein a plurality of emitting layers (21) including InGaN and a plurality of barrier layers (22) including GaN are alternatively stacked in the quantum well structure (3), and an oxygen-containing layer (23) including oxygen is provided between the quantum well structure (3) and the conductive layer (2).

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion optics device housing having one or more external electrical connectors (1719) provided thereon. An ion optics device (301) is arranged inside the ion optics device housing, the ion optics device (301) comprising one or more electrodes for manipulating ions, the one or more electrodes being electrically connected to the one or more external electrical connectors (1719) provided on the ion optics device housing. A voltage supply housing (1717) is provided having one or more external electrical connectors provided thereon. One or more voltage supplies are arranged inside the voltage supply housing (1717), the one or more voltage supplies being in electrical communication with the one or more external electrical connectors provided on the voltage supply housing. The one or more external electrical connectors provided on the voltage supply housing are directly physically and electrically connected to the one or more external electrical connectors (1719) provided on the ion optics device housing.

An in-vacuum light sensor system, including a light sensor assembly comprising a photocathode configured for converting an impinging photon to a photoelectron, a semiconductor diode configured for multiplying the photoelectron impinging thereon, and a housing including vacuum-compatible materials configured for being placed in a vacuum chamber. The housing is configured for housing the photocathode and the semiconductor diode and for propagation of the photoelectron from the photocathode to the semiconductor diode. An electrical biasing subassembly is configured for electrically biasing at least the photocathode and the semiconductor diode, and the vacuum chamber is configured for positioning the light sensor apparatus therein.

The present invention relates to an imaging device that includes a gating element which receives incident photons and releases pulsed electrons; a single microchannel-plate (MCP) which receives the pulsed electrons and amplifies the pulsed electrons as an amplified pulsed electron flux; a collection element which receives the amplified pulsed electron flux; a high-pass filter; and a gated integrator; wherein the high-pass filter element receives the amplified pulsed electron flux from the collection element and alternate current (AC) couples the amplified pulsed electron flux as a charge pulse to the gated integrator; and wherein the gating element and the gated integrator are time-synchronized to allow charge-integration only while the AC-coupled charge pulse is unipolar. A feedback loop can provide an auto-gating function. The imaging device can be used in night vision goggles or a mass spectrometer.