A component of an ion optical device is manufactured. The component comprises aligned first and second electrode sets. A first material is machined to provide a part-machined first electrode set that comprises the first electrode set attached to a frame part of the first material. A second material is machined to provide a part-machined second electrode set that comprises the second electrode set attached to a frame part of the second material. The component of the ion optical device is assembled by aligning the part-machined first and second electrode sets. Subsequent to aligning the part-machined first and second electrode sets, the part-machined first electrode set is further machined to separate the first electrode set from the frame part of the first material and the part-machined second electrode set is further machined to separate the second electrode set from the frame part of the second material.

An ion separation apparatus comprises: (a) first and second ion carpets, each comprising: a substrate having first and second faces; and a set of electrodes disposed on or beneath the first face, wherein a configuration of a first plurality of the set of electrodes defines at least one group of circle sectors; (b) an ion exit aperture passing through one ion carpet; and (c) one or more power supplies configured to provide radio frequency voltages to a first subset of the electrodes of each ion carpet, to provide electrical potential differences across electrodes of the first subset of electrodes of each ion carpet, and to provide time-varying voltages to the first plurality of electrodes of each ion carpet that migrate through the sectors as a traveling wave, wherein the ion carpets are disposed parallel to one another with a gap therebetween, the first faces facing one another across the gap.

A device for controlling trapped ions includes a substrate. An electrode structure is mounted on the substrate. The electrode structure includes DC electrodes and RF electrodes of an ion trap configured to trap ions in a space above the substrate. A temperature sensor is disposed at the substrate and configured to sense temperatures below 50K.

A method of mass spectral analysis in an analytical electrostatic trap (14) is disclosed. The electrostatic trap (14) defines an electrostatic field volume and includes trap electrodes having static and non-ramped potentials. The method comprises injecting a continuous ion beam into the electrostatic field volume.

In one aspect, a method of performing mass spectrometry is disclosed, which comprises ionizing a sample to generate a plurality of precursor ions, passing the precursor ions through a mass filter to select at least one subset of the ions, introducing the selected ions into a branched radiofrequency (RF) ion trap and subjecting at least a portion of said selected precursor ions to fragmentation within the ion trap so as to generate a first plurality of fragment ions. The method can further include isolating at least a portion of the first plurality of fragment ions in at least one branch of the branched RF ion trap, removing unwanted fragment ions, releasing the remaining ions from said at least one branch and subjecting at least a portion thereof to fragmentation so as to generate a second plurality of fragment ions. Any combination of collision induced dissociation (CID) and electron activation dissociation (EAD) can be employed for fragmenting the ions.

An orbitrap may include elongated inner and outer electrodes, wherein the inner and outer electrodes each define two axially spaced apart electrode halves with a central transverse plane extending through the electrodes also passing between both sets of electrode halves, a cavity defined radially about and axially along the inner electrode between the two inner electrode halves and the two outer electrode halves, means for establishing an electric field configured to trap an ion in the cavity and to cause the trapped ion to rotate about, and oscillate axially along, the inner electrode, wherein the rotating and oscillating ion induces charges on the inner and outer electrode halves, and charge detection circuitry configured to detect the charges induced on the inner and on outer electrode halves, and to combine the detected charges for each oscillation to produce a measured ion charge signal.

Disclosed herein is an ion guide for guiding an ion beam along an ion path, said ion guide having a longitudinal axis corresponding to said ion path, said ion guide-comprising a plurality of elongate electrodes arranged around and extending along said longitudinal axis wherein an inner envelope of the plurality of electrodes defines an ion guide volume. Said elongate electrodes are formed by electrode wires, wherein adjacent electrode wires are arranged at an inter-wire distance. The ion guide comprises holding structures for supporting and for straightening the electrode wires by applying a tension or maintaining a tension applied to them. Any portion of said holding structures which is separated from said ion guide volume by less than the local inter-wire distance is made from a material having a resistivity of less than 10.sup.12 Ohm.Math.cm, preferably of less than 10.sup.9 Ohm.Math.cm, or has a sheet resistivity of less than 10.sup.14 Ohm, preferably of less than 10.sup.10 Ohm on a surface facing said ion guide volume.

A quadrupole mass spectrometer includes: a quadrupole mass filter with four rod electrodes arranged so as to surround a central axis; and a magnet that forms a magnetic field in at least a part of an inside of the quadrupole mass filter in a direction intersecting the central axis.

A first multipole assembly includes a first plurality of rod electrodes arranged about an axis and configured to confine ions radially about the axis. A second multipole assembly disposed adjacent to the first multipole assembly includes a second plurality of rod electrodes arranged about the axis and configured to confine the ions radially about the axis. An orientation of the first multipole assembly about the axis is rotationally offset relative to an orientation of the second multipole assembly about the axis.

A multipole ion guide includes a plurality of electrodes disposed about a longitudinal axis of the device so as to define an ion transmission volume for transmitting ions along a length of the device between opposite inlet and outlet ends. An electronic controller is operably connected to an RF power source and to at least some of the electrodes and is configured to apply at least an RF potential to the electrodes. During use the electrodes generate an RF-only field along a first portion of the device and an axial DC field along a second portion of the device. Ions are focused radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the device by the RF-only field within the first portion of the device prior to and/or subsequent to experiencing the axial DC field within the second portion of the device.