DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometer having a cold cathode ionization source

Abstract

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.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Livermore, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
874739
Patent Number(s):
6452167
Assignee:
Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01J - ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
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; /250/

Citation Formats

Felter, Thomas E. Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometer having a cold cathode ionization source. United States: N. p., 2002. Web.
Felter, Thomas E. Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometer having a cold cathode ionization source. United States.
Felter, Thomas E. Tue . "Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometer having a cold cathode ionization source". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/874739.
@article{osti_874739,
title = {Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometer having a cold cathode ionization source},
author = {Felter, Thomas E},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2002},
month = {1}
}

Works referenced in this record:

High‐pressure effects in miniature arrays of quadrupole analyzers for residual gas analysis from 10 −9 to 10 −2 Torr
journal, May 1996


The Mass Filter: Design and Performance
book, January 1976