MULTIPOLE ION GUIDES UTILIZING SEGMENTED AND HELICAL ELECTRODES, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

摘要

An ion guide (800; 850; 1000) generates a multipole radio frequency (RF) field to radially confine ions to an ion beam along a guide axis as the ions are transmitted through the ion guide. The effective potential of the RF field has a magnitude on the guide axis that is independent of axial position along the guide axis, and presents no potential wells on-axis. The ion guide may include a plurality of axially spaced electrodes (816) partitioned into transversely spaced segments (820). Alternatively, the ion guide may include a plurality of helical electrodes (1016) wound about the guide axis.