Multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer

摘要

A method of reflecting ions in a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer is disclosed. The method includes guiding ions toward an ion mirror having multiple electrodes, and applying a voltage to the ion mirror electrodes to create an electric field that causes the mean trajectory of the ions to intersect a plane of symmetry of the ion mirror and to exit the ion mirror, wherein the ion are spatially focussed by the mirror to a first location and temporally focused to a second location different from the first location. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

主权项

1. A method of reflecting ions generally along an axis of reflection (Z) in an ion optical mirror forming part of a time-of-flight mass analyser, the mirror being elongated along a major axis (X), the method comprising directing the ions to enter the ion mirror having a component of motion along a minor axis of the mirror (Y), and reflecting the ions so that they exit the ion mirror retaining at least a portion of the component of motion along the minor axis (Y); the axes X, Y and Z being orthogonal to each other, and the axis of reflection (Z) being a longitudinal axis of the ion mirror which lies generally in the direction of time-of-flight separation of ions in the ion mirror.