The invention generally relates to systems and methods for conducting reactions and screening for reaction products.

Methods and devices for mass spectrometry are described, specifically the use of nanoparticulate implantation as a matrix for secondary ion and more generally secondary particles. A photon beam source or a nanoparticulate beam source can be used a desorption source or a primary ion/primary particle source.

Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

Methods and devices for pretreatment of a conducting sampling substrate which enable an electrostatic charge to be used to transfer analyte molecules onto a sampling substrate, where the analyte molecules are in powder or particulate form. In an embodiment of the present invention, the electrostatic charge can be used to transfer powder samples containing nitrogenous bases, nucleosides, food additives, and prescription drugs such as acetaminophen, oxycodone, and dextromethorphan. In an embodiment of the present invention, a powder sample is transferred to a pre-treated sampling substrate using an electrostatic charge. The spatial distribution of the powder on the original surface is retained on the pre-treated sampling substrate using the electrostatic charge transfer. The electrostatic charge transfer can be used to transfer powder samples present on a surface or in the chambers of 96, 384 and 1536 well plate formats to either pins or mesh and analyzed with ambient desorption ionization.

An ion-trap system having a trapping location that is controllable with nanometer-scale precision in three dimensions is disclosed. The ion-trap system includes an ion trap that includes a pair of RF driver electrodes, a pair of tuning electrodes operably coupled with the RF driver electrodes to collectively generate an RF field having an RF null that defines the trapping location, as well as a plurality of DC electrodes that are operably coupled with the RF driver electrodes and the tuning electrodes. Each tuning electrode is driven with an RF signal whose amplitude and phase is independently controllable. By controlling the amplitudes of the RF signals applied to the tuning electrodes, the height of the trapping location above the mirror is controlled. The position of the tuning location along two orthogonal lateral directions is controlled by controlling a plurality of DC voltages applied to the plurality of DC electrode pads.

A method is disclosed comprising providing a biological sample on a swab, directing a spray of charged droplets onto a surface of the swab in order to generate a plurality of analyte ions, and analysing the analyte ions.

In an embodiment of the present ambient ionization experiment, the abundance of background chemicals relative to ions of interest is decreased by reducing the overall abundance of background chemicals introduced into the ionizing region. In an embodiment of the present invention, the reduction of unwanted background chemicals in the ionization region can be effected by limiting the area which the sample volume is deposited. In an embodiment of the present invention, the reduction of unwanted background chemicals in the ionization region can be effected by decreasing the duration of time that the sample is exposed to the atmospheric pressure ionization source. In an embodiment of the present invention, the reduction of unwanted background chemicals in the ionization region can be effected by limiting the sample volume. In an embodiment of the present invention dilution of the sample with water can be used to reduce the contribution of the background chemicals. In an embodiment of the present ambient ionization experiment, an ion intensifier is used to suppress ionization of background chemicals to permit more efficient ionization and detection of the molecules of interest.

A method of analyzing a population of cells is disclosed. In certain embodiments, the method includes i) obtaining an array of cells on a substrate, wherein the cells are labeled with one or more mass tags and are separated from one another, ii) measuring, using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), the abundance of the one or more mass tags at a plurality of locations occupied by the cells, thereby generating, for each individual cell measured, a set of data, and iii) outputting the set of data for each of the cells analyzed. Also provided herein are systems that find use in performing the subject method. In some embodiments, the system is an automated system for analyzing a population of cells using SIMS.

The disclosure features methods of generating ions from a sample that include: exposing multiple regions of a biological sample on a substrate in succession to an ion beam to generate charged particles from each region, where the biological sample is labeled with at least one mass tag; for each exposed region, analyzing the plurality of charged particles to identify a deviation from a reference distribution of charged particles; and for each exposed region for which a deviation is identified, adjusting at least one exposure parameter of the ion beam based on the analysis of the plurality of charged particles to modify exposure of the sample to the ion beam.