Elongation of orthogonal accelerators is assisted by ion spatial transverse confinement within novel confinement means, formed by spatial alternation of electrostatic quadrupolar field (22). Contrary to prior art RF confinement means, the static means provide mass independent confinement and may be readily switched. Spatial confinement defines ion beam (29) position, prevents surfaces charging, assists forming wedge and bend fields, and allows axial fields in the region of pulsed ion extraction, this way improving the ion beam admission at higher energies and the spatial focusing of ion packets in multi-reflecting, multi-turn and singly reflecting TOF MS or electrostatic traps.

To compensate for the distortion of the loop-flight electric field with a higher level of accuracy, a multiturn time-of-flight mass spectrometer 1 includes: a main electrode 21 configured to generate, within a predetermined loop-flight space, a loop-flight electric field which is an electric field that makes an ion fly in a loop orbit multiple times, the main electrode having an opening 24 or 25 through which ions are introduced into or extracted from the loop-flight space; a compensating-electrode attachment part 23 made of an insulating material and fixed to the main electrode; and a compensating electrode 22 configured to compensate for a distortion of the loop-flight electric field which occurs in the vicinity of the opening, the compensating electrode being fixed to the compensating-electrode attachment part directly or via a substrate 221 and located in the vicinity of the opening.

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.

Systems and methods are disclosed for ion injection into an electrostatic trap. Various aspects of this disclosure provide a mass spectrometer system including a primary ion path including a plurality of quadrupoles; and a secondary ion path coupled to the primary ion path utilizing turning elements. The secondary ion path may include an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT), the ELIT being operable to analyze ions diverted from the primary ion path and return them to the primary ion path. The primary ion path may include a time-of-flight mass analyzer. The secondary ion path may be bi-directional. Ions may travel in a first direction when coupled into the secondary ion path using a first turning element in the primary ion path and may travel in a second direction when coupled into the secondary ion path utilizing a second turning element in the primary ion path. The secondary ion path may include a collision quadrupole.

A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device (4) is disclosed. The ion entry/exit device (4) has at least two arrays of electrodes (20,22). The device is operated in a first mode wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays ((20,22) in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction. The device is also operated in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays (20,22) in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction. The device provides a single, relatively simple device for manipulating ions in multiple directions. For example, the device may be used to load ions into or eject ions from an ion mobility separator in a first direction, and may then be used to cause ions to move through the ion mobility separator in the second direction so as to cause the ions to separate.

A multi-pass time-of-flight mass spectrometer is disclosed having an elongated orthogonal accelerator (30). The orthogonal accelerator (30) has electrodes (31) that are transparent to the ions so that ions that are reflected or turned back towards it are able to pass through the orthogonal accelerator (30). The electrodes (31) of the orthogonal accelerator (30) may be pulsed from ground potential in order to avoid the reflected or turned ion packets being defocused. The spectrometer has a high duty cycle and/or space charge capacity of pulsed conversion.

An interface for receiving ions in a carrier gas from an atmospheric pressure ion source at a spectrometer that is configured to analyse the received ions at a lower pressure includes an interface vacuum chamber having a downstream aperture; a support assembly defining an axial bore arranged to allow a removable capillary tube to extend therethrough; ions being received from the atmospheric pressure ion source through the capillary tube and directed towards the downstream aperture; and a jet disruptor, positioned downstream from the axial bore and configured to disrupt gas flow between the axial bore and the downstream aperture only when the capillary tube is not fully inserted through the axial bore.

To compensate for the distortion of the loop-flight electric field with a higher level of accuracy, a multiturn time-of-flight mass spectrometer 1 includes: a main electrode 21 configured to generate, within a predetermined loop-flight space, a loop-flight electric field which is an electric field that makes an ion fly in a loop orbit multiple times, the main electrode having an opening 24 or 25 through which ions are introduced into or extracted from the loop-flight space; a compensating-electrode attachment part 23 made of an insulating material and fixed to the main electrode; and a compensating electrode 22 configured to compensate for a distortion of the loop-flight electric field which occurs in the vicinity of the opening, the compensating electrode being fixed to the compensating-electrode attachment part directly or via a substrate 221 and located in the vicinity of the opening.

A time-of-flight or electrostatic trap mass analyzer is disclosed comprising: an ion flight region comprising a plurality of ion-optical elements (30-35) for guiding ions through the flight region in a deflection (x-y) plane. The ion-optical elements are arranged so as to define a plurality of identical ion-optical cells, wherein the ion-optical elements in each ion-optical cell are arranged and configured so as to generate electric fields for either focusing ions travelling in parallel at an ion entrance location of the cell to a point at an ion exit location of the cell, or for focusing ions diverging from a point at the ion entrance location to travel parallel at the ion exit location. Each ion-optical cell comprises a plurality of electrostatic sectors having different deflection radii for bending the flight path of the ions in the deflection (x-y) plane. The ion-optical elements in each cell are configured to generate electric fields that either (i) have mirror symmetry in the deflection plane about a line in the deflection plane that is perpendicular to a mean ion path through the cell at a point half way along the mean ion path through the cell, or (ii) have point symmetry in the deflection plane about a point in the deflection plane that is half way along the mean ion path through the cell. The ion-optical elements are arranged and configured such that, in the frame of reference of the ions, the ions are guided through the deflection plane in the ion-optical cells along mean flight paths that are of the same shape and length in each ion-optical cell.

A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device (4) is disclosed. The ion entry/exit device (4) has at least two arrays of electrodes (20,22). The device is operated in a first mode wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays ((20,22) in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction. The device is also operated in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays (20,22) in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction. The device provides a single, relatively simple device for manipulating ions in multiple directions. For example, the device may be used to load ions into or eject ions from an ion mobility separator in a first direction, and may then be used to cause ions to move through the ion mobility separator in the second direction so as to cause the ions to separate.