Ion transport devices, ion mobility spectrometers and mass spectrometers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ion transmission device, which is designed to transmit ions by means of an electric field, wherein the ion transmission device has an ion transmission channel in which an ion transmission chamber is formed, wherein the ion transmission device has a plurality of field generating electrodes for generating an electric field, and the field generating electrodes are arranged in sequence along the longitudinal extension of the ion transmission channel so as to move ions through the ion transmission chamber along a transmission direction. The present invention also relates to an ion mobility spectrometer and a mass spectrometer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ion transmission device, which is designed to transmit ions by means of an electric field, wherein the ion transmission device has an ion transmission channel in which an ion transmission chamber is formed, wherein the ion transmission device has a plurality of field generating electrodes for generating an electric field, and the field generating electrodes are arranged in sequence along the longitudinal extension of the ion transmission channel so as to move ions through the ion transmission chamber along a transmission direction. The present invention also relates to an ion mobility spectrometer and a mass spectrometer. Background Art

[0002] Ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) is an instrument for fast and sensitive tracer gas analysis, which separates these ions from each other according to the movement of ions through neutral drift gas under the influence of drift electric field. This separation of ions occurs in the so-called drift tube of IMS, in which a drift field is generated via corresponding electrodes. For a specific environment, the drift tube can be flushed with drift gas and tightly sealed relative to the surrounding environment to prevent impurities in the surrounding environment from entering. For example, the potential of each drift electrode for generating drift field can be set via a resistor divider. Accordingly, in addition to the ionization space or reaction space and the detector, the drift tube that limits the drift space is one of the main components of the ion mobility spectrometer.

[0003] Partially similar requirements exist at the inlet of a mass spectrometer (MS), namely that there too the ions should be transported through the cavity by the electric field. Therefore, ion transport devices are generally discussed below, which can form a drift tube in an IMS and an ion funnel in a mass spectrometer. Summary of the invention

[0004] Today, the provision of ion mobility spectrometers and mass spectrometers is still associated with high production complexity. The object of the present invention is to provide a solution by means of which such devices can be produced with less complexity.

[0005] The object is achieved by an ion transport device of the type mentioned at the outset, having the following characteristics:

[0006] a) the ion transport channel has a plurality of side walls formed of planar plates, said side walls enclosing an ion transport chamber,

[0007] b) the side wall is formed by a circuit board coated with at least one first conductor layer,

[0008] c) the field generating electrode is designed as an interrupted ring electrode which surrounds the ion transport chamber on the circumferential side, wherein one, a plurality or all of the ring electrodes are respectively composed of individual conductor track segments formed on the printed circuit board by a part of the first conductor layer, wherein the conductor track segments of the ring electrodes can be in electrical contact, but do not necessarily have to be in electrical contact,

[0009] d) the ion transport device has at least one first voltage divider having a plurality of voltage divider connection points and at least one second voltage divider having a plurality of voltage divider connection points,

[0010] e) wherein for one, more or all of the annular electrodes:

[0011] e1) at least one conductor track section of the annular electrode is connected to a voltage divider connection point of a first voltage divider,

[0012] e1) At least one further conductor track section of the ring electrode, which is different from the conductor track section connected to the voltage divider connection point of the first voltage divider, is connected to the voltage divider connection point of the second voltage divider.

[0013] The present invention has the following advantages, the ion transmission device can be provided by means of simple and low-cost components, that is, by means of commercial general-purpose circuit boards. In particular, the side walls of the ion transmission channel can be formed by the circuit board. In the improvement scheme also described below, other elements of the IMS or MS can also be formed by the circuit board, so that the total cost of manufacturing is further reduced. The circuit board can be manufactured and placed in the desired shape in a conventional manner, as known from the circuit board for electronic circuits, for example, by milling, etching or other shape processing. The circuit board can be configured as a single-layer or multi-layer circuit board, that is, the circuit board can have one or more conductor layers. Advantageously, there is at least one conductor layer, that is, the first conductor layer mentioned above. The conductor layer is used to form a ring electrode. It has been found that the ring electrode does not have to have a circular ring shape as is common so far. Rectangular, square or other polygonal cross-sectional shapes, such as they can be formed by assembled flat plates, are also suitable. The ring electrode can thus be formed directly by a section of the conductor layer without having to install or weld other additional components to form the ring electrode.

[0014] According to the present invention, the ion transport channel is thus constructed by individual (first separate) circuit boards, which form the side walls of the ion transport channel. The individual circuit boards are connected to each other at the connection points. The connection points to which the individual circuit boards are joined can be constructed airtightly here. In an advantageous design of the present invention, the individual circuit boards that form the side walls (and possibly other parts of the ion transport channel described below) are constructed as rigid circuit boards. This has the advantage that a self-supporting structure can be formed by the assembled circuit boards, and the self-supporting structure forms the ion transport channel.

[0015] By means of the described circuit board construction of the ion transmission device, a compact drift tube or ion funnel can be produced, such as is necessary in particular for handheld devices. In addition, a large number of thin and narrow annular electrodes can be provided in a simple manner in order to achieve the required uniformity of the offset electric field. This can be achieved in a simple manner with the aid of commercially available circuit boards. In addition, the circuit boards can be produced with the aid of standard industrial methods and can thus be manufactured very cost-effectively. By means of the circuit board construction according to the invention, an ion transmission device for an IMS can also be provided, which operates with negative pressure and high electric field strengths.

[0016] The ion transport device may, for example, include a common region between the ion source and the ion detector, i.e., all regions through which ions may be transported, such as the ionization space, the ion gate, the drift space, the detection region, i.e., the space between the aperture grid (the closed part of the drift tube) and the detector.

[0017] The ion transport channel may, for example, be only a part of the ion transport device, for example a section along the longitudinal direction of the ion transport device, as will be explained further below.

[0018] Advantageously, the circuit board used to form the side wall already has connection points for the first and second voltage dividers, so that the components required to generate a uniform electric field can be contacted in a simple manner to form the voltage divider. In addition, the installation of the side wall can be simplified as electrical contact between all conductor track sections of the ring electrode is not absolutely necessary. Accordingly, electrical contact between the side walls is not required.

[0019] The first and / or second voltage divider can be designed, for example, as a series circuit of resistors, as a continuous resistor strip or as a combination thereof.

[0020] The ion transport device can in principle have any number of side walls ranging from three to an infinite number. It is particularly advantageous in terms of production to provide four side walls, for example with a square or rectangular cross section of the ion transport channel. However, in some applications, another number of side walls, for example three, five, six, seven, eight side walls, may also be advantageous.

[0021] The conductor track sections arranged on the circuit board can advantageously be arranged at uniform distances from one another. It is also advantageous if the conductor track sections of the circuit board each have the same width.

[0022] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that one, more or all side walls have at least one second conductor layer of the circuit board extending parallel to the first conductor layer. Accordingly, a multilayer circuit board can be used, whereby the functionality that can be realized on the individual circuit boards or side walls can be increased. The use of a multilayer circuit board also provides the possibility of integrating additional electronic devices directly into the ion transport device. The first conductor layer can be a conductor layer arranged on the surface of the circuit board or in the circuit board material. The second conductor layer can be a conductor layer arranged on another surface of the circuit board or in the circuit board material.

[0023] The second conductor layer or the additionally provided conductor layer may also form a shielding device of the system, so that the anti-interference performance may be improved.

[0024] It is advantageous here if the printed circuit board is designed at least on the side on which the first conductor layer is arranged without additional coatings, such as solder resist etc. Undesirable influencing of the sensitivity of the ion transport device can be avoided in this way.

[0025] According to an advantageous improvement of the present invention, the first and / or second voltage divider is arranged on the second conductor layer. This has the advantage that the components forming the first and / or second voltage divider can be arranged on site, that is, at a location where the annular electrode is also present, so that unnecessarily long leads can be avoided.

[0026] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that the first voltage divider is associated with a plurality of side walls and / or the second voltage divider is associated with a plurality of side walls. In this way, the number of required voltage dividers can be reduced. The first voltage divider can thus be associated with a plurality of side walls of the annular electrode. The second voltage divider can thus be associated with a plurality of side walls of the annular electrode. The entire ion transport device can be realized, for example, with only two voltage dividers.

[0027] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the first voltage divider is associated with the first side wall and / or the second voltage divider is associated with the first side wall. This has the advantage that a single individual voltage divider is assigned to each side wall, so that undesired lateral influences are avoided.

[0028] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that each side wall formed by the printed circuit board is associated with its own voltage divider. In this way, the connection complexity between the individual sections of the ring electrode is minimized.

[0029] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that the ion transport device has a coupling capacitor network, via which the annular electrode can be connected to an electrical signal source, wherein one, a plurality or all coupling capacitors are formed by a portion of a conductor layer of one or more side walls formed by a circuit board. This has the advantage that the funnel for MS can be provided particularly simply and cost-effectively. The coupling capacitors required for these applications can thus be formed directly by the conductor layer of the circuit board, so that the installation of discrete components can be minimized as much as possible.

[0030] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that the ion transport device has at least one heating wire, which is used to heat the ion transport channel, wherein the heating wire is formed by a portion of a conductor layer of one or more side walls formed by a circuit board. This has the advantage that no special components are required to form the heating device. More precisely, the required heating wire can be formed directly on one or more circuit boards through a portion of the conductor layer. The heating wire can be formed, for example, by a meandering extension of the conductor layer on one or more circuit boards.

[0031] According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, it is proposed that part or all of the field generating electrodes are implemented on the inner layer of the circuit board. This has the advantage that the number of field generating electrodes per unit length can be further increased. In particular, in this way, sections of the ring electrode can be implemented by the inner layer of the circuit board. The inner layer of the circuit board is considered to be a conductor layer that does not rest on the outer surface but is located between the outer conductor layers.

[0032] According to an advantageous improvement of the present invention, it is proposed that the ion transmission device has an ion detector, which is arranged at one end of the ion transmission channel, wherein the ion detector is formed by a conductor layer of a circuit board or by an etched metal grid, and the metal grid is mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by at least one circuit board. This has the following advantages, namely, further simplifying the provision of the ion transmission device, because no additional, complex components are required for providing the required ion detector. More precisely, the ion detector can also be formed by a conductor layer of a circuit board, and the circuit board is, for example, a circuit board fixed thereto as a closing plate of the ion transmission channel. Alternatively, the ion detector or optionally one, more or all of the electrodes mentioned below can be configured as such an etched metal grid. Advantageously, the etched metal grid is mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by the circuit board.

[0033] According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, it is proposed that the ion transmission device has an ion gate at at least one end of the ion transmission channel, wherein at least one electrode of the ion gate is formed by a conductor layer of a circuit board or by an etched metal grid, which is mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by at least one circuit board. This has the advantage that the provision of the ion transmission device is further simplified, since no additional, complex components are required for providing the required ion gate. More precisely, the ion gate or at least a part thereof can also be formed by a conductor layer of a circuit board, which is, for example, a circuit board fixed thereto as a closing plate of the ion transmission channel.

[0034] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that at least one of the circuit boards has at least one groove-shaped recess, into which at least one other circuit board is inserted in a form-fitting manner. This has the advantage that the ion transport device can be assembled particularly simply from the individual circuit boards, since a form-fitting connection is provided by the groove-shaped recess, which simplifies the assembly of the components and the fixing of the components to one another.

[0035] The individual circuit boards constituting the ion transport device can be connected to one another in a force-fitting, form-fitting or friction-fitting manner, for example, using adhesive or solder. In the case of mechanical connection by solder, for example, a part of the conductor layer can be used to form a fixing point.

[0036] According to an advantageous improvement of the present invention, the ring electrode formed by the printed conductor segments is configured as a polygonal ring electrode, the number of corners of the ring electrode corresponding to the number of side walls. The common ring electrodes of IMS or MS are configured as closed annular conductive structures. However, such electrode structures are difficult to manufacture together with the circuit board. The structure proposed here divides each ring electrode into a plurality of segments, which are flatly located on the circuit board because the segments also form the walls of the ion transport channel.

[0037] As a result, all sections of the ring electrodes can be arranged on one circuit board each, which greatly reduces the effort in manufacturing. Depending on the arrangement and number of the circuit boards, ring electrodes of different shapes are produced, such as triangular, quadrangular, in particular rectangular or square or polygonal ring electrodes. It has been shown that such shaping of the ring electrodes does not deteriorate the performance of the IMS or MS.

[0038] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the ratio of the width of the conductor track section of the ring electrode to the height (=thickness of the conductor layer) is greater than 1, in particular greater than 5. This allows a high efficiency of the ring electrode to be achieved when forming a uniform electric field. In addition, only small interference capacitances are generated by the conductor track section.

[0039] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the ratio of the width of adjacent conductor track sections of adjacent ring electrodes to the lateral spacing is greater than 0.5, in particular greater than 1 or greater than 3. This allows a high efficiency of the ring electrodes to be achieved when forming a uniform electric field.

[0040] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the ion transport device is segmented into segments along the transport direction. By means of the segments, which can also be referred to as longitudinal segments, a modular construction of the ion transport device along the longitudinal direction can be achieved, for example. One segment of the ion transport device can be, for example, a drift tube, and another segment can be a reaction space. One, several or all segments can each be formed by an ion transport channel, in particular a drift tube, which is constructed according to the invention in the manner of a circuit board construction.

[0041] According to an advantageous improvement of the present invention, one, more or all sections of the ion transmission device are respectively closed by at least one closing plate arranged perpendicular to the transmission direction, the closing plate being designed as a circuit board. By means of such a closing plate, on the one hand, a gas-tight end side closure of the section can be achieved. In addition, other functions, such as an ion gate and / or an ion detector, can also be achieved by means of such a closing plate.

[0042] The closing plate can thus form an interface between the drift space and one of the above-mentioned sections, i.e. an ion gate, an ion space or a reaction space, a detector or another drift space can follow on the closing plate. The same applies to the other sections. Thus, the closing plate can be, for example, a change between a horizontal and a vertical orientation of the circuit board.

[0043] According to an advantageous improvement of the present invention, one, more or all closing plates extend out of at least one of the side walls in the circumferential direction. This simplifies the fixing of the side walls to the closing plates. For example, an annular groove can be provided in the closing plate, which corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the arrangement formed by the side walls of the ion transport channel. The ion transport channel can then be inserted into the groove and fixed therein. This allows the ion transport channel to be simply fixed to the closing plate in a form-fitting manner, wherein high stability and good sealing can be achieved.

[0044] According to an advantageous development of the invention, at least one electrode is provided between adjacent sections of the ion transport device, the electrode being formed by a conductor layer of a circuit board or by an etched metal grid, the metal grid being mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by at least one circuit board. Such an electrode can be, for example, an electrode of an ion gate. Thus, for example, an ion gate with two grid electrodes can be formed by, for example, using a circuit board coated on both sides with a conductor layer, wherein the conductor layer can form the grid electrode. It is also possible to use two etched metal grids, which are mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by a circuit board.

[0045] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that the side wall surrounds the ion transport chamber in a gas-tight manner. In this way, the required tight sealing of the IMS can already be achieved by the side wall. Alternatively, it is possible that the side wall is not tightly sealed and that the ion transport device or the IMS or ion funnel equipped therewith is arranged in a gas-tight housing instead.

[0046] The objects mentioned at the beginning are also achieved by an ion mobility spectrometer having an ion transport device of the type described above. The ion transport channel can form a drift tube of the ion mobility spectrometer. The ion transport channel can also form a section of the reaction space or the above-mentioned sections of the ion mobility spectrometer. The advantages described above can also be achieved thereby.

[0047] The object mentioned at the outset is also achieved by a mass spectrometer having an ion transport device of the type described above. The ion transport channel can form an ion funnel of the mass spectrometer. The advantages described above can also be achieved thereby. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The invention is explained in more detail below based on exemplary embodiments using the drawings.

[0049] The accompanying drawings show:

[0050] Figure 1 showing an ion mobility spectrometer; and

[0051] Figure 2 showing a perspective view of an ion transport device; and

[0052] Figure 3 Show according to Figure 2 A top view of two side walls of the ion transport device; and

[0053] Figure 4 showing the ion transport apparatus viewed along the transport direction; and

[0054] Figure 5 a perspective view showing a closing plate; and

[0055] Figure 6 An enlarged detail showing the connection between two side walls. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Figure 1A greatly simplified schematic diagram of an IMS 90 is shown. The IMS 90 has an ion transmission channel 1, which is also referred to as a drift tube in the IMS. Within the ion transmission channel 1, there is an ion transmission chamber 93, through which ions can move from the ion providing chamber 5 to the ion detector 8 along the transmission direction T. In order to generate ion movement, the ion transmission channel 1 has a field generating electrode 2 in the form of an annular electrode, which is arranged in sequence along the transmission direction T. The field generating electrode 2 is connected to the electric energy source 4 via a voltage divider 3. The voltage divider 3 can be formed, for example, by a series circuit of a resistor 30. By this arrangement, a uniform electric field is generated in the ion transmission chamber 93 along the transmission direction T.

[0057] Ions can be provided in the ion providing chamber 5, for example, by an ion source 6, such as a radiation source. In the ion providing chamber 5, all the generated ions are first mixed with each other at will. If the measurement cycle of the IMS 90 begins, the ions are introduced from the ion providing chamber 5 into the ion transmission chamber 93 by correspondingly switching the ion gate 92. Due to their different mobilities, different ion types are separated from each other on their paths through the ion transmission chamber 93, so that different ion types impact on the ion detector 8 at different time points. The ion detector 8, which can be arranged on the closing plate 7, for example, outputs an electrical signal to the amplifier 9 in relation to the impact of the ions. The amplified signal is shown in the diagram 91 as an ion mobility spectrum. Time is shown on the abscissa.

[0058] The further explanation now concerns the problem of how the ion transport channel 1 or the ion transport device formed thereby can be produced particularly cost-effectively.

[0059] Figure 2 An ion transport channel 1 constructed of a circuit board 21 is shown. In this case, four circuit boards 21 form the side walls of the ion transport channel 1. The circuit board is coated with a first conductor layer on the inner side of the ion transport channel 1. A printed conductor section 20 is formed on each circuit board 21 by the first conductor layer, and the printed conductor sections are arranged in sequence along the ion transport direction T. Each printed conductor section 20 is connected to a voltage divider connection point of the corresponding circuit board 21, for example in such a way that there is a via on the opposite circuit board side. A resistor 30 is arranged on the opposite circuit board side, i.e., on the outer side of the ion transport channel 1, and the resistor forms a first voltage divider 31 and a second voltage divider 32.

[0060] As in Figure 2 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the individual conductor track sections 20 that are to form the annular electrodes do not touch one another and are accordingly not connected to one another in direct current. In this case, it is necessary to provide a corresponding voltage divider on the outside of each circuit board 21. It is also explained below that in certain embodiments, a small number of voltage dividers can also be used, for example only a first voltage divider 31 and a second voltage divider 32, as in FIG. Figure 2 Shown in.

[0061] Figure 3 A top view of the two side walls 21 facing inward, i.e. the side of the printed circuit board 21 on which the conductor track sections 20 are arranged, is shown. As can be seen, the conductor track sections 20 are designed as narrow conductor strips which are arranged parallel to each other at uniform spacings and one behind the other as viewed in the transmission direction T. The conductor track sections 20 have a width B. The lateral spacing between adjacent conductor track sections of adjacent annular electrodes has a dimension D. It is advantageous here if B / D is greater than 0.5, or greater than 1, or greater than 3.

[0062] Figure 4 An ion transmission device is shown, wherein the ion transmission device has Figure 2 In addition, at one end of the ion transport channel 1 there is a terminating plate 7 which can also be designed as a circuit board. The conductor layer 80 of the circuit board 70 can then form the ion detector 8.

[0063] Figure 4 It is also shown that an electrical connection between two conductor track sections 20 arranged at the corners of the same annular electrode can be established via the bridge 22. In addition, electrical contact between two conductor track sections outside the ion transport channel is also possible. In this way, for example, a first voltage divider 31 can be associated with the upper and left circuit board 21, and a second voltage divider 32 can be associated with the right and bottom circuit board 21. The DC connection can be designed as a soldering joint, for example.

[0064] Figure 5 The circuit board 70 is shown again with a separate sub-view of the conductor layer 80. The conductor layer 80 can form the ion detector 8. The circuit board 70 forms the closing plate 7.

[0065] Figure 6 The advantageous mechanical connection between two circuit boards 21 arranged at an angle to each other, which respectively form the side walls of the ion transport channel 1, is shown. Therefore, a groove 23 is introduced into the circuit board 21. The end edge of the other circuit board 21 is inserted into the groove 23. The connection point can be additionally fixed, for example, by an adhesive. In this way, all side walls of the ion transport channel 1 can be connected to each other.

[0066] Figure 6 Also shown is the dimension H, which defines the height (thickness of the conductor layer) of the conductor layer which forms the conductor track section 20. Advantageously, B / H is greater than 1, in particular greater than 5.

Claims

1. An ion transport device, the ion transport device being designed to transport ions by means of an electric field, wherein the ion transport device comprises an ion transport channel (1) in which an ion transport chamber (93) is formed, wherein the ion transport channel (1) comprises a plurality of field generating electrodes (2) for generating an electric field, the field generating electrodes being arranged in sequence along the longitudinal extension of the ion transport channel (1) so as to move ions along a transport direction T through the ion transport chamber (93), Features It has the following characteristics: a) the ion transport channel (1) has a plurality of side walls formed by flat plates, the side walls surrounding the ion transport chamber (93), b) the side wall is formed by a circuit board (21) coated with at least one first conductor layer, c) the field generating electrode (2) is designed as an interrupted annular electrode surrounding the ion transfer chamber (93) on the circumferential side, wherein one, a plurality of or all of the annular electrodes are respectively composed of individual printed conductor sections (20) formed on the circuit board (21) by a part of the first conductor layer, wherein the printed conductor sections (20) of the annular electrodes can be electrically contacted, d) the ion transport device has at least one first voltage divider (31) having a plurality of voltage divider connection points (35) and at least one second voltage divider (32) having a plurality of voltage divider connection points (35), e) wherein for one, several or all of the annular electrodes the following apply: e1) at least one conductor track section (20) of the annular electrode is connected to a voltage divider connection point (35) of the first voltage divider (31), e2) at least one further conductor track section (20) of the annular electrode, which is different from the conductor track section (20) connected to the voltage divider connection point (35) of the first voltage divider (31), is connected to the voltage divider connection point (35) of the second voltage divider (32), The first voltage divider (31) is arranged on a first side wall, and the second voltage divider (32) is arranged on a second side wall different from the first side wall.

2. The ion transport device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that One, a plurality of or all of the side walls have at least one second conductor layer of the circuit board (21) extending parallel to the first conductor layer.

3. The ion transport device according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The first voltage divider (31) and / or the second voltage divider (32) are arranged on the second conductor layer.

4. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The first voltage divider (31) is associated with a plurality of side walls and / or the second voltage divider (32) is associated with a plurality of side walls.

5. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The first voltage divider (31) is associated with the first side wall and / or the second voltage divider (32) is associated with the second side wall.

6. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that Each side wall formed by a circuit board (21) is associated with its own voltage divider.

7. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ion transport device has a network of coupling capacitors, through which the annular electrode can be connected to an electrical signal source, wherein one, a plurality of or all of the coupling capacitors are formed by a portion of a conductor layer of one or more of the side walls formed by a circuit board (21).

8. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ion transport device has at least one heating wire for heating the ion transport channel (1), wherein the heating wire is formed by a portion of a conductor layer of one or more of the side walls formed by a circuit board (21).

9. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that A part or all of the field generating electrodes are implemented on an inner layer of the circuit board.

10. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ion transmission device comprises an ion detector (8) which is arranged at one end of the ion transmission channel (1), wherein the ion detector (8) is formed by a conductor layer (80) of a circuit board or by an etched metal grid, and the metal grid is mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by at least one circuit board.

11. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ion transfer device has an ion gate (92) at at least one end of the ion transfer channel (1) or the ion transfer chamber (93), wherein at least one electrode of the ion gate (92) is formed by a conductor layer of a circuit board or by an etched metal grid, and the metal grid is mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by at least one circuit board.

12. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that At least one of the printed circuit boards has at least one groove-shaped recess (23), into which at least one other printed circuit board is inserted in a form-fitting manner.

13. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ring electrode formed by the conductor track section (20) is designed as a polygonal ring electrode, the number of corners of which corresponds to the number of side walls.

14. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ratio of the width B to the height H of the conductor track section (20) of the annular electrode is greater than 1.

15. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ratio of the width B to the height H of the conductor track section (20) of the annular electrode is greater than 5.

16. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ratio of the width B of adjacent conductor track sections (20) of adjacent ring electrodes to the lateral spacing D is greater than 0.

5.

17. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ratio of the width B of adjacent conductor track sections (20) of adjacent annular electrodes to the lateral spacing D is greater than 1 or greater than 3.

18. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The ion transmission device is segmented along the transmission direction T into sections.

19. The ion transport device of claim 18, It is characterized in that One, several or all sections of the ion transport device are respectively closed by at least one closing plate (7) arranged perpendicular to the transport direction T, which is designed as a printed circuit board.

20. The ion transport device of claim 19, It is characterized in that One, a plurality of or all closing plates (7) extend beyond at least one of the side walls in the circumferential direction.

21. The ion transport device of claim 18, It is characterized in that At least one electrode is arranged between adjacent sections of the ion transport device, which electrode is formed by a conductor layer of a printed circuit board or by an etched metal grid, which is mechanically fastened and electrically contacted by at least one printed circuit board.

22. The ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The side walls hermetically surround the ion transport chamber (93).

23. An ion mobility spectrometer, It is characterized in that An ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 22 is provided.

24. An ion funnel, It is characterized in that An ion transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 22 is provided.

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