Method and apparatus for directing ions and other charged particles generated at near atmospheric pressures into a region under vacuum
First Claim
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1. A method of focusing dispersed charged particles comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a plurality of elements in a region maintained at a pressure between 10-1 millibar and 1 bar, each of said elements having successively larger apertures wherein said apertures form an ion funnel having an entry at the largest aperture and an exit at the smallest aperture,b) applying an RF voltage to each of the elements wherein the RF voltage applied to each element is out of phase with the RF voltage applied to the adjacent element(s),c) directing charged particles into the entry and out of the exit of the ion funnel, thereby focusing the charged particles.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for focusing dispersed charged particles. More specifically, a series of elements within a region maintained at a pressure between 10-1 millibar and 1 bar, each having successively larger apertures forming an ion funnel, wherein RF voltages are applied to the elements so that the RF voltage on any element has phase, amplitude and frequency necessary to define a confinement zone for charged particles of appropriate charge and mass in the interior of the ion funnel, wherein the confinement zone has an acceptance region and an emmitance region and where the acceptance region area is larger than the emmitance region area.
411 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of focusing dispersed charged particles comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a plurality of elements in a region maintained at a pressure between 10-1 millibar and 1 bar, each of said elements having successively larger apertures wherein said apertures form an ion funnel having an entry at the largest aperture and an exit at the smallest aperture, b) applying an RF voltage to each of the elements wherein the RF voltage applied to each element is out of phase with the RF voltage applied to the adjacent element(s), c) directing charged particles into the entry and out of the exit of the ion funnel, thereby focusing the charged particles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for focusing dispersed charged particles comprising:
a) a plurality of elements contained within a region maintained at a pressure between 10-1 millibar and 1 bar, each of said elements having progressively larger apertures wherein said apertures form an ion funnel having an entry at the largest aperture and an exit at the smallest aperture and an RF voltage applied to each of the elements wherein the RF voltage applied to each element is out of phase with the RF voltage applied to the adjacent element(s). - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of trapping charged particles comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a plurality of elements within a region maintained at a pressure between 10-1 millibar and 1 bar, each of said elements having successively larger apertures wherein said apertures form an ion funnel having an entry at the largest aperture and an exit at the smallest aperture, b) applying an RF voltage to each of the elements wherein the RF voltage applied to each element is out of phase with the RF voltage applied to the adjacent element(s), c) providing a DC voltage at the exit of said ion funnel sufficient to capture said charged particles, and d) directing a volume of gas containing said charged particles into the entry of said ion funnel, thereby capturing said charged particles in said ion funnel. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for focusing dispersed charged particles comprising:
a) two elements within a region maintained at a pressure between 10-1 millibar and 1 bar, placed adjacent to each other, each of said elements formed into a conical coil, said coils forming an ion funnel having an entry at the largest end and an exit at the smallest end, wherein an RF voltage is applied to each of the elements and said RF voltage applied to each element is 180 degrees out of phase with the RF voltage applied to the adjacent element.
Specification