TIME OF FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER AND MULTIPLE DETECTOR THEREFOR

摘要

An ion detection arrangement (140) for a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (10) includes a beam splitter formed as a mesh (150) at the end of the (TOF) acceleration and detection chamber (110). Ions enter the detection arrangement through a common entrance window and are then divided by the beam splitter. Those ions striking the mesh (150) generate secondary electrons (160) which are detected by a microchannel plate forming a first detector (170). Those ions passing through the ion beam splitter are detected directly by a second detector (190) also formed from a microchannel plate. The two detectors are each connected to a corresponding data acquisition system (180,200) and the data obtained by each are combined to generate a mass spectrum. The problems of detector saturation are thus avoided.