Ionization cell for a mass spectrometer, and corresponding leak detector

摘要

An ionization cell for a mass spectrometer (2) includes: an ionization housing (10) having a first and a second electron input groove (11, 26) and one side (16) of which has an output groove (15) for passing ionized particles (14a, 14b, 14c) therethrough, a first working filament (13) placed opposite the first electron input groove (11) and intended to be supplied to produce an electron beam (12), and a second backup filament (22) placed opposite the second electron input groove (26) and intended to be supplied in the event the first working filament (13) fails so as to produce the electron beam, the input groove (26) being placed outside a front region (F) located opposite the first input groove (11). The invention also relates to a leak detector with a mass spectrometer, which includes such an above-described ionization cell.

主权项

1. An ionization cage (10) comprising first and second electron entrance slits (11, 26) in opposite sides thereof, and having an exit slit (15) for the passage of ionized particles (14a, 14b, 14c);
a working first filament (13), placed facing said first electron entrance slit (11) and operational when, intended to be powered-so-as to produce an electron beam (12), which is injected through said first electron entrance slit into a region inside said ionization cage maintained at a given pressure level to generate said ionized particles in a first ionization mode; and a backup second filament (22), placed facing said second electron entrance slit (26) and operational when powered to produce an electron beam which is injected through said second entrance slit into an adjacent region inside said ionization cage maintained at said given pressure level to ionize said particles in said first ionization mode, said second filament being powered, intended to be powered, in the event of failure of the working first filament (13), so as to produce the electron beam, said second electron entrance slit (26) being placed outside of a frontal region F facing said first electron entrance slit (11).