Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometer having a cold cathode ionization source

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:874739

Felter, Thomas E ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA

An improved quadrupole mass spectrometer is described. The improvement lies in the substitution of the conventional hot filament electron source with a cold cathode field emitter array which in turn allows operating a small QMS at much high internal pressures then are currently achievable. By eliminating of the hot filament such problems as thermally "cracking" delicate analyte molecules, outgassing a "hot" filament, high power requirements, filament contamination by outgas species, and spurious em fields are avoid all together. In addition, the ability of produce FEAs using well-known and well developed photolithographic techniques, permits building a QMS having multiple redundancies of the ionization source at very low additional cost.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6452167
• OSTI ID: 874739
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

miniature
quadrupole
mass
spectrometer
cold
cathode
ionization
source
improved
described
improvement
lies
substitution
conventional
hot
filament
electron
field
emitter
array
allows
operating
qms
internal
pressures
currently
achievable
eliminating
thermally
cracking
delicate
analyte
molecules
outgassing
power
requirements
contamination
outgas
species
spurious
fields
avoid
addition
ability
produce
feas
well-known
developed
photolithographic
techniques
permits
building
multiple
redundancies
additional
cost
mass spectrometer
hot filament
ionization source
quadrupole mass
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