A method of manufacturing a device for manipulating charged particles using an axial electric field as they travel along a longitudinal axis of the device is disclosed. The method comprises providing first electrodes of different lengths, supplying different voltages to these electrodes and arranging grounded electrodes between the first electrodes in order to form the desired axial potential profile.

To improve spatial and energy acceptance of multi-reflecting time-of-flight, open traps, and electrostatic trap analyzers, a novel ion mirror is disclosed. Incorporation of immersion lens between ion mirrors allows reaching the fifth order time per energy focusing simultaneously with the third order time per spatial focusing including energy-spatial cross terms. Preferably the analyzer has hollow cylindrical geometry for extended flight path. The time-of-flight analyzer preferably incorporates spatially modulated ion mirror field for isochronous ion focusing in the tangential direction.

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to reflectron assemblies and methods of producing them. In some configurations, a reflectron comprising a plurality of lenses each comprising a planar body and comprising a plurality of separate and individual conductors spanning a central aperture from a first side to a second side of a first surface of the planar body is described. In some instances, the plurality of conductors are each substantially parallel to each other and are positioned in the same plane.

A miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) was developed for a NASA/ASTID program beginning 2008. The primary targeted application for this technology is the detection of non-volatile (refractory) and biological materials on landed planetary missions. Both atmospheric and airless bodies are potential candidate destinations for the purpose of characterizing mineralogy, and searching for evidence of existing or extant biological activity.

A Time of Flight mass analyzer is disclosed comprising an annular ion guide having a longitudinal axis and comprising a first annular ion guide section and a second annular ion guide section. Ions are introduced into the first annular ion guide section so that the ions form substantially stable circular orbits within the first annular ion guide section about the longitudinal axis. An ion detector is disposed within the annular ion guide. Ions are orthogonally accelerated in a first axial direction from the first annular ion guide section into the second annular ion guide section. An axial DC potential is maintained along at least a portion of the second annular ion guide section so that the ions are reflected in a second axial direction which is substantially opposed to the first axial direction. The ions undergo multiple axial passes through the second annular ion guide section before being detected by the ion detector.

The invention relates to a gas analysis system comprising, from upstream to downstream: a module (SEP) for separating at least a portion of the species contained in the gas to be analysed, comprising at least one microcapillary column (GC) for gas phase chromatography, and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) coupled to said separation module, said spectrometer comprising a ion source (MS1, MS2) adapted to ionise at least a portion of said species and to emit a ion beam, and a free-flight zone (MS4) for said ions,
said mass spectrometer (TOFMS) being arranged in the volume of at least one substrate and comprising a micro-reflectron (R) arranged between the source (MS1, MS2) and the free-flight zone (MS4), a wall (R1) of said micro-reflectron comprising a layer made from a resistive material designed to be polarised between at least two regions so as to create a continuous electrostatic field gradient in said reflectron.

Used as an ion beam guiding unit for introducing primary ions to the surface of the sample is an ion optical system of reflectron TOFMS for achieving time focusing including an orthogonal acceleration unit for accelerating the ions in the orthogonal direction, a flight space of a non-electric field, and an ion reflector for forming a reflecting electric field. A dual stage type is used as the ion reflector to superimpose the correction potential showing a predetermined non-linear potential distribution on the potential having a linear gradient of a uniform electric field at the side deeper than the second order focusing position that fulfills the Mamyrin solution, thereby correcting the temporal spread of ion packets emitted from the orthogonal acceleration unit until the deviation of third or higher order in energy, achieving high time focusing.

A method of reflecting ions in a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer is disclosed. The method includes guiding ions toward an ion mirror having multiple electrodes, and applying a voltage to the ion mirror electrodes to create an electric field that causes the mean trajectory of the ions to intersect a plane of symmetry of the ion mirror and to exit the ion mirror, wherein the ion are spatially focussed by the mirror to a first location and temporally focused to a second location different from the first location. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

A miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) was developed for a NASA/ASTID program beginning 2008. The primary targeted application for this technology is the detection of non-volatile (refractory) and biological materials on landed planetary missions. Both atmospheric and airless bodies are potential candidate destinations for the purpose of characterizing mineralogy, and searching for evidence of existing or extant biological activity.

The invention relates to embodiments of high-resolution time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers with special reflectors. The invention provides reflectors with ideal energy and solid angle focusing, based on Cassini ion traps, and proposes that a section of the flight path of the TOF mass spectrometers takes the form of a Cassini reflector. It is particularly favorable to make the ions fly through this Cassini reflector in a TOF mass spectrometer at relatively low energies, with kinetic energies of below one or two kiloelectronvolts. This results in a long, mass-dispersive passage time in addition to the time of flight of the other flight paths, without increasing the energy spread, angular spread or temporal distribution width of ions of the same mass. It is also possible to place several Cassini reflectors in series in order to extend the mass-dispersive time of flight. Several TOF mass spectrometers for axial as well as orthogonal ion injection with Cassini reflectors are presented.