NANOPARTICULATE ASSISTED NANOSCALE MOLECULAR IMAGING BY MASS SPECTROMETRY

• US 20170221691A1
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ionwerks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ionwerks, Inc.
• Inventors: Schultz, J. Albert, Egan, Thomas F., Lewis, Ernest K., Ulrich, Steven, Waters, Kelley L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,446,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2258 Measuring secondary ion emission, e.g. secondary ion mass spectrometry [SIMS] mass-to-charge ratio analysis aspects of SIMS for material analysis G01N27/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0004 Imaging particle spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0422 for gaseous samples interfaces to gas chromatographs G01N30/7206
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0463 Desorption by laser or particle beam, followed by ionisation as a separate step sample holder per se H01J49/0418
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/10 Ion sources; Ion guns
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/142 using a solid target which is not previously vapourised
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/164 Laser desorption/ionisation, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation [MALDI] sample holders H01J49/0418
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/26 Mass spectrometers or separator tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/40 Time-of-flight spectrometers H01J49/36 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and devices for mass spectrometry are described, specifically the use of nanoparticulate implantation as a matrix for secondary ion and more generally secondary particles. A photon beam source or a nanoparticulate beam source can be used a desorption source or a primary ion/primary particle source.

Claims

1. An instrument for the preparation of a sample, the instrument comprising:

a first differentially-pumped vacuum region comprising a nanoparticulate beam source configured to create and accelerate a nanoparticulate ion beam;

a second differentially-pumped vacuum region coupled to the first differentially-pumped vacuum region for accelerating and focusing the nanoparticulate ion beam;

a third differentially-pumped vacuum region coupled to the second differentially-pumped vacuum region, wherein the third differentially-pumped vacuum region comprises a sample stage for positioning the sample for implantation in the sample with nanoparticles from the nanoparticulate ion beam; and

at least one deposition source coupled to at least one of the first differentially-pumped vacuum region, second differentially-pumped vacuum region, and third differentially-pumped vacuum region.

2. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source is configured to modify the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam.

3. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source is configured to co-deposit material from the at least one deposition source with the nanoparticles from the nanoparticulate ion beam.

4. The instrument of claim 3, wherein the at least one deposition source is configured to simultaneously co-deposit material with the implantation of the sample with the nanoparticles.

5. The instrument of claim 2, wherein the at least one deposition source is configured to add material to a surface of the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam.

6. The instrument of claim 2, wherein the at least one deposition source is coupled to the first differentially-pumped vacuum region and configured to modify the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam as they emerge from the nanoparticulate beam source.

7. The instrument of claim 2, wherein the at least one deposition source is coupled to the second or third differentially-pumped vacuum region and configured to modify the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam between the nanoparticulate beam source and the sample.

8. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source is configured to add material to the sample.

9. The instrument of claim 8, wherein the at least one deposition source comprises a matrix deposition source configured to co-deposit an organic acid matrix on the sample with the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam.

10. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source is selected from a group consisting of a cluster beam source, a vapor deposition system, a laser ablation system, an electrospray ionization source, a molecular beam source, an atomic layer epitaxy source, an ion beam deposition source, a Knudsen effusion cell, a magnetron sputter source, an electron beam evaporator source, an atomic hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen source, an ozonolysis source, a plasma etching source, and an aerosol generator source.

11. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source comprises an alkali metal ion beam deposition source.

12. The instrument of claim 11, wherein the alkali metal ion beam deposition source comprises a cesium ion beam deposition source.

13. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source is a water vapor source from a molecular beam source.

14. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one deposition source is a Knudsen source or molecular beam source for co-deposition of an organic acid matrix on the sample with the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam.

15. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising a second nanoparticulate beam source.

16. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

a nanofocused primary particle beam source positioned to deliver a beam to the sample including the matrix; and

an analyzer positioned to analyze material or photons emitted from the sample upon delivery of the beam.

17. The instrument of claim 16, wherein the nanoparticulate beam source comprises a nanoparticulate silver beam source or a nanoparticular silver ion beam source, and wherein the nanofocused primary particle beam source comprises a nanofocused neon ion particle beam source.

18. A method, comprising:

generating a nanoparticulate ion beam;

modifying nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam to form modified nanoparticles; and

implanting the modified nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam in a sample.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of modifying nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam comprises adding material to a surface of the nanoparticles with a deposition source.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising co-depositing an organic acid matrix on the sample with the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of modifying nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam to form modified nanoparticles comprises modifying the nanoparticles of the nanoparticulate ion beam as they emerge from a nanoparticulate beam source in a first differentially-pumped vacuum region different from a second differentially-pumped vacuum region housing the sample.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one deposition source is selected from a group consisting of a cluster beam source, a vapor deposition system, a laser ablation system, an electrospray ionization source, a molecular beam source, an atomic layer epitaxy source, an ion beam deposition source, a Knudsen effusion cell, a magnetron sputter source, an electron beam evaporator source, an atomic hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen source, an ozonolysis source, a plasma etching source, and an aerosol generator source.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising adding material to the sample with a deposition source.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising implanting second nanoparticles from a second nanoparticulate beam source in the sample.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second nanoparticles are co-deposited with the modified nanoparticles.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising modifying the second nanoparticles of the second nanoparticulate beam source.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the second nanoparticles are sequentially deposited with the modified nanoparticles.

28. A method for the collection of analytical data from a sample, the method comprising:

adding matrix to the sample with nanoparticles of a nanofocused nanoparticulate beam source;

co-depositing material from a deposition source on the sample with the nanoparticles from the nanoparticulate ion beam;

analyzing at least a portion of the sample having the matrix and the co-deposited material with a fluorescence or Raman spectrometer;

thereafter desorbing chemical species from the sample using a nanofocused primary particle beam source; and

analyzing at least a portion of the desorbed chemical species.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the nanofocused primary particle beam source comprises a nanofocused neon ion particle beam source, and wherein the nanofocused nanoparticulate beam source comprises a nanoparticulate silver beam source.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the deposition source comprises an alkali metal ion beam deposition source.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the alkali metal ion beam deposition source comprises a Cesium ion beam deposition source.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the deposition source comprises a water vapor source from a molecular beam source.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of co-depositing comprises co-depositing an organic acid matrix on the sample from a Knudsen source or molecular beam source.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of co-depositing comprises simultaneously co-depositing.