A surface interaction sample introduction (SISI) system for mass spectrometers is disclosed that improves sensitivity and reduces chemical background. SISI comprises of a settling chamber with an inlet orifice that ions created by an ionization source enter the MS impinging surface that is located in front of the inlet orifice, thereby the high-speed gas jet entering the settling chamber from the inlet orifice impinges on the impinging surface resealing ions and molecules into the settling chamber. The impinging surface can be one of the settling chamber surfaces or an extra surface placed inside the settling chamber. The impinging surface can be orthogonal or angled with respect to the gas jet. The impinging surface is heated to apply thermal energy to the jet to promote the liberation of ionized particles from attached impurities. The released ions and molecules leave the settling chamber from an outlet port towards a mass spectrometer inlet.

An ion mobility analyser comprising an ion guide is provided. The ion guide defines an ion drift channel extending in an axial direction an includes first and second electrode assemblies provided on opposing sides of the ion drift channel. Each of the first and second electrode assemblies extend in the axial direction and in a transverse direction which is transverse to the axial direction. The first and second electrode assemblies are spaced apart on opposing sides of the ion drift channel by a first distance at a narrowest point along the axial direction. Each of the first and second electrode assemblies comprises a set of first electrodes, and a set of second electrodes. The electrodes in the first and second sets are arranged in an alternating pattern in the transverse direction. The alternating pattern extends in the transverse direction a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

A detector inlet for providing a sample to an analytical apparatus for detecting an aerosol, the detector inlet comprising; an intake for inhaling a flow of gaseous fluid to be sampled by the analytical apparatus; a mixing region; a first conduit for carrying a first part of the flow of gaseous fluid from the intake to the mixing region; a second conduit for carrying a second part of the flow of gaseous fluid from the intake to the mixing region; and a heater configured to heat the first part more than the second part, and wherein the detector inlet is configured to combine the first part with the second part in the mixing region.

An isotope ratio spectrometer is operated for measurement of a sample. First isotope ratios and first signal intensities are measured for a reference in the spectrometer, over a first measurement time period. A first relationship comprising a relationship between the first isotope ratios and the first signal intensities is determined. Sample isotope ratios and sample signal intensities are measured in the spectrometer, over a second measurement time period subsequent to the first measurement time period. Second isotope ratios and second signal intensities for a reference are measured in the spectrometer, over a third measurement time period subsequent to the second measurement time period. A second relationship comprising a relationship between the second isotope ratios and the second signal intensities is determined. A reference isotope ratio is estimated for a time X within the second measurement time period, based on the first relationship and the second relationship.

An ionizer 1 including an ionization chamber 10, a sample gas introduction port 14 provided in the ionization chamber 10 for introducing sample gas, an electron beam emitting section 11 which emits an electron beam toward the ionization chamber 10, electron beam passage openings 10a and 10b which are formed on a path of the electron beam emitted from the electron beam emitting section 11 on a wall of the ionization chamber 10 and has a length in a direction of the path longer than a width of a cross section orthogonal to the direction, and an ion outlet 10c provided in the ionization chamber 10 for emitting an ion of the sample gas generated by irradiation with the electron beam, and a mass spectrometer 60 including the ionizer 1.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

Provided are a method for inspecting a chemical solution, the method being able to analyze minute foreign matter in the chemical solution, a method for producing a chemical solution, a method for controlling a chemical solution, a method for producing a semiconductor device, a method for inspecting a resist composition, the method being able to analyze minute foreign matter in the resist composition, a method for producing a resist composition, a method for controlling a resist composition, and a method for checking a contamination status of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the method being able to control minute foreign matter in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

The method for inspecting a chemical solution includes a step 1X of preparing a chemical solution; a step 2X of applying the chemical solution onto a semiconductor substrate; and a step 3X of measuring whether there is a defect on a surface of the semiconductor substrate to obtain positional information of the defect on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, irradiating, based on the positional information, the defect on the surface of the semiconductor substrate with a laser beam, collecting an analytical sample obtained by the irradiation by using a carrier gas, and subjecting the analytical sample to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

An ion analyzer includes: a reaction chamber 2 into which precursor ions derived from a sample component are introduced; a radical generation unit including an insulating tube 551, and a discharge unit 54, 552 configured to generate a discharge inside the insulating tube; a gas supply unit 52, 53 capable of supplying a first gas which is a radical raw material gas, and a second gas which is any of an oxygen gas, an ozone gas, a nitrogen gas, a gas of a compound containing an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom, and a rare gas to an inside of the insulating tube; an evacuation unit 57 configured to evacuate the inside of the insulating tube; a radical introduction unit 55 configured to introduce radicals into an inside of the reaction chamber; and a control unit 93 configured to perform a first operation of introducing the first gas into the inside of the insulating tube, generating radicals by generating a discharge, and introducing the radicals into the inside of the reaction chamber, and a second operation of introducing the second gas into the inside of the insulating tube.

A mass spectrometry device that is provided with an ionization unit and ionizes, by the ionization unit, a sample separated by a separation column, subjects the sample to mass separation and detect ions obtained in the mass separation, includes: a gas introduction unit that introduces a first gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid into the ionization unit using a second gas, wherein: the ionization unit ionizes the sample by reacting ions obtained by ionizing the first gas with the sample.

An ion source may include an ionization chamber to be maintained at atmospheric-pressure. The ion source may further include a reduced-pressure chamber to be maintained at sub-atmospheric pressure, and an ion transfer device comprising an inlet in the ionization chamber and an outlet in the reduced-pressure chamber. The ion transfer device may define an ion path from the inlet to the outlet. The ion transfer device may be positioned to emit ions and neutral gas molecules from the outlet as an expanding beam comprising a low-gas density zone enveloped by a high-gas density region that includes a gas density that is higher than the low-gas density zone. The ion source may be utilized, for example, for ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), mass spectrometry (MS), and hybrid IM-MS.