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Title: Experimental Observation of the Effects of Translational and Rotational Electrode Misalignment on a Planar Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
 [1]; ;  [2]; ;  [3];  [2]
  1. Zhengzhou University, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering (China)
  2. Brigham Young University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (United States)
  3. Brigham Young University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (United States)

The performance of miniaturized ion trap mass analyzers is limited, in part, by the accuracy with which electrodes can be fabricated and positioned relative to each other. Alignment of plates in a two-plate planar LIT is ideal to characterize misalignment effects, as it represents the simplest possible case, having only six degrees of freedom (DOF) (three translational and three rotational). High-precision motorized actuators were used to vary the alignment between the two ion trap plates in five DOFs—x, y, z, pitch, and yaw. A comparison between the experiment and previous simulations shows reasonable agreement. Pitch, or the degree to which the plates are parallel along the axial direction, has the largest and sharpest impact to resolving power, with resolving power dropping noticeably with pitch misalignment of a fraction of a degree. Lateral displacement (x) and yaw (rotation of one plate, but plates remain parallel) both have a strong impact on ion ejection efficiency, but little effect on resolving power. The effects of plate spacing (y-displacement) on both resolving power and ion ejection efficiency are attributable to higher-order terms in the trapping field. Varying the DC (axial) trapping potential can elucidate the effects where more misalignments in more than one DOF affect performance. Implications of these results for miniaturized ion traps are discussed. .

OSTI ID:
22776892
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 29, Issue 7; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2018 American Society for Mass Spectrometry; http://www.springer-ny.com; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1044-0305
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English