The disclosure features methods and systems that include directing an ion beam to a region of a sample to liberate charged particles from the region of the sample, where the directed ion beam is pulsed at a first repetition rate, deflecting a first subset of the liberated charged particles from a first path to a second path different from the first path in response to a gate signal synchronized with the repetition rate of the pulsed ion beam, and detecting the first subset of the liberated charged particles in a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer to determine information about the sample, where the gate signal sets a common reference time for the TOF mass spectrometer for the first subset of charged particles liberated by each pulse of the ion beam.

A method of performing time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry on a sample includes the step of directing a beam of primary ions to the sample, and stimulating the migration of ions within the sample while the beam of primary ions is directed at the sample. The stimulation of the ions is cycled between a stimulation state and a lower stimulation state. Secondary ions emitted from the sample by the beam of primary ions are collected in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is then performed on the secondary ions. A system for performing time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry on a sample is also disclosed.

A mixed gas cluster ion beam generator may include a nozzle chamber to contain a first mixed gas which is a mixed gas that is a mix of a first gas and a second gas, a cluster nozzle to spray gas received from the nozzle chamber in a cluster form, an ionizer to ionize a gas cluster sprayed by the cluster nozzle, and an ion accelerator to emit an ion beam to the outside by accelerating the gas cluster ionized by the ionizer by generating a potential difference to the ionized gas cluster.

A mass spectrometry device and process may include the use of helium as a nebulizing gas to provide increased signal strength in mass spectrum results. This may be implemented in, for example, ESI-based and/or DESI-based systems and/or processes. The process may be implemented utilizing a unique ionization source and, optionally, other unique components. One or more process parameters may be adjusted to provide increased signal intensity in mass spectrum results.

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).

The disclosure features systems and methods that include: exposing a biological sample to an ion beam that is incident on the sample at a first angle to a plane of the sample by translating a position of the ion beam on the sample in a first direction relative to a projection of a direction of incidence of the ion beam on the sample; after each translation of the ion beam in the first direction, adjusting a focal length of an ion source that generates the ion beam; and measuring and analyzing secondary ions generated from the sample by the ion beam after adjustment of the focal length to determine mass spectral information for the sample, where the sample is labeled with one or more mass tags and the mass spectral information includes populations of the mass tags at locations of the sample.

The invention generally relates to mass spectral analysis. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve analyzing a lipid containing sample using a mass spectrometry technique, in which the technique utilizes a liquid phase that does not destroy native tissue morphology during analysis.

The invention generally relates to high-throughput label-free enzymatic bioassays using desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS).

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

The invention generally relates to high-throughput label-free enzymatic bioassays using desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS).