An inductively coupled plasma generating device is configured to include a plasma torch, a high frequency induction coil and a high frequency power source. In addition, a heat transfer member, in which a first terminal is connected to the high frequency induction coil and a second terminal is connected to a cooling block, is disposed in the inductively coupled plasma generating device. The second terminal of the heat transfer member is located above the first terminal, thereby causing condensed operating fluid to fall and move toward the first terminal due to the action of gravity. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve excellent cooling capacity by improving circulation and mobility of the operating fluid.

Systems and methods are described to provide speciation of silicon species present in a remote sample for analysis. A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, receiving a fluid sample containing inorganic silicon in the presence of bound silicon from a remote sampling system via a fluid transfer line; transferring the fluid sample to an inline chromatographic separation system; separating the inorganic silicon from the bound silicon via the inline chromatographic separation system; transferring the separated inorganic silicon and bound silicon to a silicon detector in fluid communication with the inline chromatographic separation system; and determining an amount of one or more of the inorganic silicon or the bound silicon in the fluid sample via the silicon detector.

There is provided a gas analyzer apparatus including: a sample chamber which is equipped with a dielectric wall structure and into which only sample gas to be measured is introduced; a plasma generation mechanism that generates plasma inside the sample chamber, which has been depressurized, using an electric field and/or a magnetic field applied through the dielectric wall structure; and an analyzer unit that analyzes the sample gas via the generated plasma. By doing so, it is possible to provide a gas analyzer apparatus capable of accurately analyzing sample gases, even those including corrosive gas, over a long period of time.

A method for evaluating a subject for a biological condition associated with metal metabolism includes sampling positions along a biological sample of the subject to obtain several ion samples. Each ion sample corresponds to a position on the biological sample and each position represents an amount of growth of the biological sample. The obtained ions are analyzed with a mass spectrometer thereby obtaining a plurality of traces. Each such trace represents a concentration of a corresponding elemental isotope, in a plurality of elemental isotopes, over time. A set of features is derived from the traces. Each feature is determined by a variation of a single isotope or a combination of isotopes in the plurality of traces. The set of features is inputted into a trained classifier to obtain a probability that the subject has the biological condition associated with metal metabolism.

We describe in this application the analysis of samples using elemental or mass spectrometry and the analysis of samples, such as biological samples by suspension mass cytometry or imaging mass cytometry and an inductively coupled plasma torch with reverse vortex flow for elemental analysis and a method of operating an ICP torch configured to interface with a spectrometer.

A method for detecting material in a sample using an ICP instrument includes preparing the sample for analysis by the ICP instrument using hydrogen gas. For example, hydrogen gas can be generated by initiating a hydride generation reaction with the sample. Further, hydrogen gas can be introduced to a component part of the sample. For instance, hydrogen gas can be added to an injector gas in a spray chamber of the ICP instrument.

A method of contaminant detection comprises exposing a wafer comprising one or more contaminants to microdroplets of an oxidizer to form an oxide on a surface of the wafer, exposing the oxide to an etchant to remove the oxide and leave the one or more contaminants on the surface of the wafer, and determining a composition of the one or more contaminants. Additional methods and related tools are also disclosed.

The present invention discloses an ionization apparatus 10 for ionizing an analyte S, comprising an inlet E, an outlet A, a first electrode 1, a second electrode 2 and a dielectric element 3. The first electrode 1, the second electrode 2 and the dielectric element 3 are arranged relative to one another such that, by applying an electric voltage between the first electrode 1 and the second electrode 2, a dielectric barrier discharge is establishable in a discharge area 5 in the ionization apparatus 10. The first and second electrodes 1, 2 are arranged such that they are displaceable or movable relative to each other.

Systems and methods are described for integrated decomposition and scanning of a semiconducting wafer, where a single chamber is utilized for decomposition and scanning of the wafer of interest.

We describe in this application systems and methods for autofocusing in imaging mass spectrometry. The present application describes improvements over current IMS and IMC apparatus and methods through an autofocus component including a plurality of apertures in the autofocus system, such as a plurality of apertures arranged in 2 dimensions. As a plurality of apertures is used, the autofocus system provides redundancy in the event that measurement of focus on the sample from the illuminating radiation passed through one or more of the apertures fails so as to reduce the number of unsuccessful autofocus attempts.