The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.

The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.

A solution-cathode glow discharge (SCGD) spectrometry apparatus may comprise an SCGD source and a mass or ion mobility spectrometer. A method for ionizing a molecular analyte may comprise contacting the molecular analyte with a plasma discharge to form ions and separating the ions in a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer. The contacting step may occur under atmospheric pressure and/or ambient conditions. The molecular analyte may be fragmented by the plasma discharge.

The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.

An ion implantation system has an ion source forming an ion beam. An mass analyzer defines and varies a mass analyzed beam along a beam path. A moveable mass resolving aperture assembly has a resolving aperture whose position is selectively varied in response to the variation of the beam path by the mass analyzer. A deflecting deceleration element positioned selectively deflects the beam path and selectively decelerate the mass analyzed beam. A controller selectively operates the ion implantation system in both a drift mode and decel mode. The controller passes the mass analyzed beam along a first path through the resolving aperture without deflection or deceleration in the drift mode and deflects and decelerates the beam along a second path in the decel mode. The position of the resolving aperture is selectively varied based on the variation in the beam path through the mass analyzer and the deflecting deceleration element.

A pulsed plasma analyzer includes a pulse modulator that controls an off-time of a pulsed plasma that includes a target radical, an optical spectrometer that measures optical emissions of the pulsed plasma after the off-time to determine optical emission data, and a concentration estimating module that estimates a concentration of the target radical during the off-time based on an initial optical emission value of the optical emission data that changes as a function of the off-time, and outputs an estimated concentration.

A pulsed plasma analyzer includes a pulse modulator that controls an off-time of a pulsed plasma that includes a target radical, an optical spectrometer that measures optical emissions of the pulsed plasma after the off-time to determine optical emission data, and a concentration estimating module that estimates a concentration of the target radical during the off-time based on an initial optical emission value of the optical emission data that changes as a function of the off-time, and outputs an estimated concentration.

The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.

A device for ionizing sample particles of a sample gas flow comprises a first flow tube for providing the sample gas flow, and an introducing means for providing H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules to an interaction region. In addition the device comprises a generator for producing reagent primary ions from particles of candidate reagent gas flow essentially in a primary ion production region. The device is configured to introduce said reagent primary ions with H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules in said interaction region in order to arrange interaction between the reagent primary ions and the H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules, thereby producing HSO.sub.4.sup. ions and again to produce HSO4.sup. ion clusters comprising HSO.sub.4.sup. ions and at least two H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules via interactions of HSO.sub.4.sup. with other H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules in said interaction region. Furthermore the device is configured to introduce said HSO.sub.4.sup. ion clusters with the sample particles of the sample gas flow in order to provide reactions between said HSO.sub.4.sup. ion clusters and the sample particles, and thereby provide a sample cluster comprising the HSO.sub.4.sup. ion clusters and said base sample to be determined.

A device for ionizing sample particles of a sample gas flow comprises a first flow tube for providing the sample gas flow, and an introducing means for providing H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules to an interaction region. In addition the device comprises a generator for producing reagent primary ions from particles of candidate reagent gas flow essentially in a primary ion production region. The device is configured to introduce said reagent primary ions with H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules in said interaction region in order to arrange interaction between the reagent primary ions and the H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules, thereby producing HSO.sub.4.sup. ions and again to produce HSO4.sup. ion clusters comprising HSO.sub.4.sup. ions and at least two H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules via interactions of HSO.sub.4.sup. with other H.sub.2SO.sub.4 molecules in said interaction region. Furthermore the device is configured to introduce said HSO.sub.4.sup. ion clusters with the sample particles of the sample gas flow in order to provide reactions between said HSO.sub.4.sup. ion clusters and the sample particles, and thereby provide a sample cluster comprising the HSO.sub.4.sup. ion clusters and said base sample to be determined.