Mass spectrometer

Abstract

An electrically conductive heat-blocking plate 11 with an opening 12 for allowing thermions to pass through is provided between a filament 3, whose temperature can be as high as 2000° to 3000° C., and an ionization chamber 2. The heat-blocking plate 11 is thermally connected via an aluminum block 10 to a heater for maintaining the ionization chamber 2 within a range temperature from 200° to 300° C., and also electrically set at a ground potential, which is approximately equal to the potential of the ionization chamber 2. The heat-blocking plate 11 blocks the radiation heat that the filament 3 emits when energized. Thus, the wall of the ionization chamber 2 is prevented from being locally heated to an abnormally high temperature. As a result, the inner space of the ionization chamber 2 is maintained at an approximately uniform temperature, and the noise due to the decomposition of a metallic material by abnormal heating is prevented. The heat-blocking plate 11 also prevents a thermion-accelerating electric field from penetrating through an electron injection port 5 into the ionization chamber 2 and impeding the extraction of ions produced within the ionization chamber 2. Thus, the ion extraction efficiency is also improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a mass spectrometer, and specifically to the structure of an ion source for ionizing sample molecules.BACKGROUND ART[0002]A mass spectrometer is a device that ionizes molecules or atoms of a sample, then separates the resultant ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio and detects these ions. Various methods for ionizing sample molecules have been developed to date, and electron ionization (EI) is one of the most generally used methods. In electron ionization, sample molecules are introduced into an ionization chamber of a comparatively small capacity, which is placed under a vacuum atmosphere. A filament for generating thermions is provided outside this ionization chamber, and thermions thereby generated are accelerated and injected into the ionization chamber. These thermions come in contact with the sample molecules to ionize these molecules within the ionization chamber. The ions thus produced within the ionization chamber...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The mass spectrometer described in this patent has a heat-blocking plate member that prevents the ionization chamber from being heated by radiation, which could cause damage to the chamber and affect the quality of the mass analysis. The heat-blocking plate member is also preferably made of electrically conductive material, which helps reduce power consumption and improves the efficiency of the mass analysis. Additionally, the electrically conductive plate member helps alleviate the influence of a thermion-accelerating electric field and improves the ion detection efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

However, if the a portion of the wall of the ionization chamber is locally heated as explained earlier until its temperature abnormally rises to a specific level, the metallic material constituting the wall of the ionization chamber becomes activated and produces a decomposition product, and this decomposition product may possibly be mixed with the sample molecules and create a noise.

The local heating is also unfavorable that it produces an uneven temperature distribution within the ionization chamber, which deteriorates the ion production efficiency.

The application of this potential to the filament creates an external electric field, which penetrates into the ionization chamber and disturbs the electric field present within the same chamber.

This disturbance of the latter electric field prevents ions produced within the ionization chamber from being extracted to the outside of the ionization chamber in an intended manner, which causes a decrease in the amount of ions to be analyzed and deteriorates the ion detection efficiency.

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