HIGH RESOLUTION PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETER

摘要

High Resolution Plasma Mass Spectrometer There is disclosed a double-focusing mass spectrometer in which ions are generated from a sample in a microwave-induced or inductively-coupled plasma (3). Ions are sampled from the plasma (3) through an aperture in a sampling cone (19) and pass through a skimmer cone (28) and several electrostatic lenses (30, 33) to the entrance slit of the mass analyzer. The sampling cone (19) and skimmer cone (28) are maintained by a power supply (40) at a potential approximately equal to the accelerating potential required by the mass analyzer. It is found that the plasma potential may be maintained at such a value that a substantial proportion of the ions generated in the plasma (3) have energies lying within the energy passband of the mass analyzer so that a high sensitivity, high resolution a spectrometer capable suitable for the elemental analysis of solid or liquid samples is provided. Such a spectrometer is capable of resolving many of the spectral interferences which restrict the usefulness of conventional quadrupole based plasma mass spectrometers. ¢Fig. 2!