Ion deflection device and mass spectrometer

Abstract

The present application relates to an ion deflection device and a mass spectrometer, comprising an entrance electrode group, a deflection electrode group and an exit electrode, the deflection electrode group constituting an arc-shaped transmission channel, an ion introduction hole being provided on the entrance electrode group, the ion introduction hole being located at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel, an ion extraction hole being provided on the exit electrode, the ion extraction hole being located at the exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel; voltages are applied to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group and the exit electrode, forming a deflection electric field in the arc-shaped transmission channel, introducing the ion beam to be measured from the upper-level environment into the arc-shaped transmission channel through the ion introduction hole, and deflecting the movement direction of the ion beam to be measured, so that the ion beam to be measured is transmitted from the ion extraction hole to the lower-level environment, while neutral particles and photons that are not deflected by the electric field directly pass through the deflection electrode group and are removed. Compared with an off-axis deflection device, the transmission path is short, which greatly reduces the loss of ions during the transmission process and has a higher ion transmission efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of mass spectrometry instruments, and in particular to an ion deflection device and a mass spectrometer. Background Art

[0002] The mass spectrometer is one of the most fundamental instruments for studying the basic composition, structural characteristics, physical and chemical properties of matter. It is an essential instrument in fields such as life sciences, materials science, food safety, and environmental protection, and is the core of modern analytical instruments. The essence of a mass spectrometer is to use electric and / or magnetic fields in a vacuum environment to separate moving ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio and then detect the composition of compounds. Among them, the ion deflector is a key transmission device in the mass spectrometer. It needs to gather and guide the ions to be analyzed from the interface area to the mass spectrometer while preventing background noise such as neutral particles and photons from passing through. This determines the instrument's sensitivity, detection limit, and background noise level.

[0003] Currently, commonly used ion deflection devices include cylindrical baffle type and off-axis deflection type, depending on the method of ion deflection. The cylindrical baffle type places a circular baffle in the center of the deflector. When ions fly into the deflector, they bypass the circular baffle and continue to fly. Photons and neutral particles are not affected by the electric field force and fly in a straight line, impacting the baffle and being removed. Although this can effectively eliminate interference between neutral particles and photons, it can also cause serious loss of ions to be measured. The off-axis deflection type adds a bias electric field to the ion transmission path, so that the forward and backward transmission direction of the ions remains unchanged, but the transmission path is offset, allowing them to enter the next structure. Photons and neutral particles are not affected by the electric field force and fly in a straight line, impacting obstacles and being removed. Although this method has a smaller ion deflection angle than the cylindrical baffle type and can ensure a certain transmission efficiency, the efficiency of photon and neutral particle removal is reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an ion deflection device and a mass spectrometer to address the problems of low ion transmission efficiency and low photon and neutral particle removal rate of existing ion deflection devices.

[0005] An ion deflection device, comprising an entrance electrode group, a deflection electrode group, and an exit electrode, wherein the deflection electrode group forms an arc-shaped transmission channel, the entrance electrode group is provided with an ion introduction hole, the ion introduction hole is located at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel, and the exit electrode is provided with an ion extraction hole, the ion extraction hole is located at the exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel;

[0006] Voltages are applied to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode, forming a deflection electric field in the arc transmission channel, introducing the ion beam to be measured from the previous environment into the arc transmission channel through the ion introduction hole, and deflecting the movement direction of the ion beam to be measured, so that the ion beam to be measured is transmitted from the ion extraction hole to the next environment.

[0007] In one embodiment, the deflection electric field is used to deflect the moving direction of the ion beam to be measured by 90 degrees in the arc-shaped transmission channel.

[0008] In one embodiment, the deflection electrode group includes a main arc electrode, a first oblique arc electrode and a second oblique arc electrode. The arc edge surfaces of the main arc electrode, the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are arranged relative to each other to form the arc transmission channel. The gap between the main arc electrode and the first oblique arc electrode serves as the entrance of the arc transmission channel, and the gap between the main arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode serves as the exit of the arc transmission channel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the main arc electrode, the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are all cylinders with fan-shaped cross sections, the cross section of the main arc electrode is 1 / 4 arc, the cross section of the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are both 1 / 8 arc, and the distances from the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode to the main arc electrode are equal.

[0010] In one embodiment, the deflection electrode group further includes a repelling electrode plate, and the first oblique arc-shaped electrode and the second oblique arc-shaped electrode are disposed at opposite ends of the same side of the repelling electrode plate.

[0011] In one embodiment, the voltage applied by the inlet electrode group is a positive polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the first beveled arc electrode, the second beveled arc electrode and the repulsion electrode plate is a positive polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the main arc electrode is a negative polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the outlet electrode is a negative polarity voltage, and the voltage applied by the outlet electrode is less than the voltage applied by the main arc electrode.

[0012] In one embodiment, the entrance electrode group includes a focusing electrode plate and at least one accelerating electrode plate, and the focusing electrode plate and each accelerating electrode plate are arranged in sequence along the incident direction of the ion beam to be measured from the previous environment to the arc transmission channel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the number of the accelerating electrode plates is more than two, and the voltage applied to each accelerating electrode plate gradually decreases as the incident direction of the ion beam to be measured moves from the previous environment to the arc transmission channel, and is smaller than the voltage applied by the focusing electrode plate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the ion deflection device further includes a first compression electrode plate and a second compression electrode plate, the first compression electrode plate and the second compression electrode plate are arranged opposite to each other, and the deflection electrode group is located between the first compression electrode plate and the second compression electrode plate.

[0015] In one embodiment, a mass spectrometer is provided, including an ion generating device, an ion interface device, a mass analysis device and the above-mentioned ion deflection device. The ion generating device is used to generate an ion beam to be measured. The ion beam to be measured passes through the ion interface device and the ion deflection device in sequence and then enters the mass analysis device to complete mass analysis.

[0016] The above-mentioned ion deflection device and mass spectrometer form an arc-shaped transmission channel through the deflection electrode group, and then apply voltage to form a deflection electric field to deflect the movement direction of the ion beam to be measured, and set an entrance electrode group at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel and an exit electrode at the exit to pull the ion beam to be measured into or out of the arc-shaped transmission channel. Neutral particles and photons that are not deflected by the electric field directly pass through the deflection electrode group and are removed. Compared with the off-axis deflection device, the transmission path is short, which greatly reduces the loss of ions in the transmission process and has higher ion transmission efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an ion deflection device in one embodiment;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic top view of an ion deflection device in one embodiment;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an ion deflection device in another embodiment;

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the motion trajectory of the ion beam to be measured in the ion deflection device in one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 5 1 is a system block diagram of a mass spectrometer in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0024] It will be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., used herein may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish a first element from another element. For example, a first resistor may be referred to as a second resistor, and similarly, a second resistor may be referred to as a first resistor without departing from the scope of this application. The first resistor and the second resistor are both resistors, but they are not the same resistor.

[0025] It can be understood that the “connection” in the following embodiments should be understood as “electrical connection”, “communication connection”, etc. if there is transmission of electrical signals or data between the connected circuits, modules, units, etc.

[0026] When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" may also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "include / comprise" or "have" and the like specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0027] The mass spectrometer is one of the most fundamental instruments for studying the fundamental composition, structural characteristics, and physical and chemical properties of matter. It is an essential instrument in fields such as life sciences, materials science, food safety, and environmental protection, and is the core of modern analytical instruments. The essence of a mass spectrometer is to use electric and / or magnetic fields in a vacuum environment to separate moving ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio, thereby enabling the determination of compound composition. Ions generated by an ion source pass through an ion deflector to the mass analyzer, where they are filtered and then delivered to the detector to obtain mass-to-charge ratio information. However, the particle beam generated by the ion source contains not only ions but also photons and neutral particles, which contribute to the instrument's background noise and therefore need to be removed. Furthermore, the shape of the ion beam is crucial; sufficient focus is required to maximize the number of ions entering the mass analyzer. The ion deflector focuses and guides the ion beam to be measured through the interface region into the mass analyzer, while simultaneously preventing background noise, such as neutral particles and photons, from passing through. It determines the instrument's sensitivity, detection limit, and background noise level, and is a key transmission device in the mass spectrometer.

[0028] Currently, commonly used ion deflection devices include cylindrical baffle type and off-axis deflection type, depending on the method of ion deflection. The cylindrical baffle type places a circular baffle in the center of the deflector. When ions fly into the deflector, they bypass the circular baffle and continue to fly. Photons and neutral particles are not affected by the electric field force and fly in a straight line, impacting the baffle and being removed. Although this can effectively eliminate interference between neutral particles and photons, it can also cause serious loss of ions to be measured. The off-axis deflection type adds a bias electric field to the ion transmission path, so that the forward and backward transmission direction of the ions remains unchanged, but the transmission path is offset, allowing them to enter the next structure. Photons and neutral particles are not affected by the electric field force and fly in a straight line, impacting obstacles and being removed. Although this method has a smaller ion deflection angle than the cylindrical baffle type and can ensure a certain transmission efficiency, the efficiency of photon and neutral particle removal is reduced.

[0029] Based on this, the present application provides an ion deflection device for use in a mass spectrometer, which can be specifically used in scenarios where the mass spectrometer needs to focus and guide the ion beam to be measured to achieve deflection of the direction of movement, or it can be used in scenarios where background noise such as neutral particles and photons in the ion beam to be measured needs to be removed. For example, the ion deflection device can be used between an ion interface device and a mass analysis device to remove neutral molecules and photons in the ion beam to be measured, reducing their impact on the final mass analysis. It can also be used for the extraction or introduction of pre-stage ions in a multi-stage mass spectrometer. Specifically, an arc-shaped transmission channel is formed inside the deflection electrode group, and a voltage is applied to form a deflection electric field to deflect the direction of movement of the ion beam to be measured. An entrance electrode group is set at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel, and an exit electrode is set at the exit to pull the ion beam to be measured into or out of the arc-shaped transmission channel. Neutral particles and photons that are not deflected by the electric field pass directly through the deflection electrode group to be removed. Compared with the off-axis deflection device, the transmission path is short, which greatly reduces the loss of ions in the transmission process and has a higher ion transmission efficiency.

[0030] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, an ion deflection device 100 is provided, including an entrance electrode group, a deflection electrode group and an exit electrode 130. The deflection electrode group constitutes an arc-shaped transmission channel. The entrance electrode group is provided with an ion introduction hole, which is located at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel. The exit electrode 130 is provided with an ion extraction hole, which is located at the exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel. Voltage is applied to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group and the exit electrode 130 to form a deflection electric field in the arc-shaped transmission channel, and the ion beam to be measured is introduced from the upper environment into the arc-shaped transmission channel through the ion introduction hole, and the movement direction of the ion beam to be measured is deflected, so that the ion beam to be measured is transmitted from the ion extraction hole to the lower environment.

[0031] Specifically, the internal electrodes of the deflection electrode group form an arc-shaped transmission channel with two open ends. The ion beam to be measured can be injected into the arc-shaped transmission channel from the entrance and emitted from the exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel after being deflected by the deflection electric field in the arc-shaped transmission channel. Among them, an entrance electrode group is provided at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel to focus and pull the ion beam to be measured output from the previous environment into the arc-shaped transmission channel along the ion introduction direction. An exit electrode is provided at the exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel to focus the deflected ion beam to be measured at the exit and finally enter the next environment along the ion extraction direction, thereby ensuring the transmission efficiency of the ions.

[0032] The deflection electrode group used to form the arc-shaped transmission channel can be composed of two arc-shaped cylinders with overlapping centers arranged relative to each other at a preset distance, or can be composed of a fan-shaped cylinder and an arc-shaped cylinder with overlapping centers arranged relative to each other at a preset distance, or can be composed of multiple fan-shaped cylinders arranged relative to each other at a preset distance, as long as the arc-shaped transmission channel can be formed. It can be understood that the curvature of the entrance and exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel corresponds to the deflection angle at which the ion beam to be measured needs to be deflected, and can be set according to actual needs. After determining the deflection angle at which the ion beam to be measured needs to be deflected, the shape and size of the deflection electrode group can be designed accordingly to form an arc-shaped transmission channel with the corresponding curvature.

[0033] Furthermore, the entrance electrode group can be composed of one or more flat-plate electrodes, each of which is provided with an ion introduction hole for the ion beam to be measured to pass through. The exit electrode can also be a flat-plate electrode, which is also provided with an ion extraction hole for the ion beam to be measured to be output. The shapes and sizes of the ion introduction hole and the ion extraction hole are not unique, and can be set according to actual needs and the diameter of the ion beam to be measured. For example, in the present embodiment, the ion introduction hole and the ion extraction hole are both set to be circular, and the radius can be set to 2mm-4mm. When the entrance electrode group is composed of multiple flat-plate electrodes, the radius of the ion introduction hole of each flat-plate electrode can be the same, or it can gradually increase along the ion introduction direction to ensure that the ion beam to be measured enters the arc transmission channel completely.

[0034] Among them, when the entrance electrode group includes multiple flat-plate electrodes, an accelerating electric field can be formed after power is turned on to accelerate the ion beam to be measured step by step. It can be understood that the number of flat-plate electrodes used and the magnitude of the applied voltage can be set according to the kinetic energy of the ion beam to be measured when it is injected under actual circumstances. When the kinetic energy of the ion beam to be measured is large when it is injected, the entrance electrode group can be set to a smaller number of flat-plate electrodes or a smaller voltage is applied; when the kinetic energy of the ion beam to be measured is small when it is injected, the entrance electrode group can be set to a larger number of flat-plate electrodes or a larger voltage is applied to accelerate it. In this embodiment, effective transmission can be achieved for kinetic energy of the ion beam to be measured in the range of 1eV to 21eV when it is injected.

[0035] In order to remove background noise such as neutral particles and photons in the ion beam to be measured, voltages are applied to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130, forming a deflection electric field in the arc transmission channel. The ion beam to be measured is pulled by the entrance electrode group and injected from the ion introduction hole along the ion introduction direction at the entrance of the arc transmission channel. After being deflected by the deflection electric field in the arc transmission channel, it is focused at the exit of the arc transmission channel and finally enters the next-level environment along the ion extraction direction through the exit electrode 130. Neutral particles and photons that are not affected by the electric field are injected from the ion introduction hole along the ion introduction direction at the entrance of the arc transmission channel, and continue along the ion introduction direction to finally hit the arc transmission channel formed by the deflection electrode group. In one embodiment, the side of the deflection electrode group that forms the arc transmission channel along the ion introduction direction is a grid type, which allows neutral particles and photons to pass through, reducing their contamination of the deflection electrode group.

[0036] In the embodiments of this application, to facilitate control of the transmission path of the ion beam to be measured, the ion beam to be measured is injected perpendicularly to the center of the ion introduction aperture of the entrance electrode assembly and ejected perpendicularly to the center of the ion extraction aperture of the exit electrode. The angle formed between the entrance electrode assembly and the exit electrode, i.e., the deflection angle of the ion beam to be measured in the arc-shaped transmission path, can be set according to actual needs.

[0037] It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130 are insulated from each other and fixed at a predetermined spacing. This predetermined spacing is not unique and can be set based on actual needs. For example, in this embodiment, the predetermined spacing is 2 mm. Specifically, the spacing between the planar electrodes in the entrance electrode group is 2 mm, the spacing between the entrance electrode group and the deflection electrode group is 2 mm, and the spacing between the deflection electrode group and the exit electrode 130 is also 2 mm. Fixing can be achieved by screws and electrical isolation using an insulating layer.

[0038] The deflection electric field in the arc transmission channel can be formed by applying voltages of different polarities or amplitudes to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130. For example, a positive voltage can be applied to the entrance electrode group to form an accelerating electric field, pulling the ion beam to be measured and accelerating into the arc transmission channel. Then, voltages of opposite polarity are applied to the deflection electrode group on both sides of the arc transmission channel to form a deflection electric field, deflecting the ion beam to be measured toward the exit of the arc transmission channel. Finally, a negative voltage is applied to the exit electrode 130 to focus and pull the ion beam to be measured out of the ion extraction aperture.

[0039] In addition, the ion deflection device also includes a power supply unit for applying voltage to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130. The power supply unit is connected to an external power source and, by performing step-up and step-down processing on the external power supply voltage, generates a DC voltage that conforms to the polarity and magnitude of the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130, and outputs the voltage to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130 accordingly. Furthermore, the ion deflection device also includes a controller for controlling the polarity and magnitude of the voltage applied by the power supply unit to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode 130 to adjust the deflection angle of the ion beam to be measured and achieve optimal ion transmission efficiency. It is understood that the controller and power supply unit can be implemented by sharing existing components in the mass spectrometer, or they can be separately added to the ion deflection device at this level.

[0040] The above-mentioned ion deflection device forms an arc-shaped transmission channel inside the deflection electrode group, and then applies voltage to form a deflection electric field to deflect the movement direction of the ion beam to be measured. An entrance electrode group is set at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel, and an exit electrode is set at the exit to pull the ion beam to be measured into or out of the arc-shaped transmission channel. Neutral particles and photons that are not deflected by the electric field directly pass through the deflection electrode group and are removed. Compared with the off-axis deflection device, the transmission path is short, which greatly reduces the loss of ions in the transmission process and has higher ion transmission efficiency.

[0041] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the deflection electrode group includes a main arc electrode 121, a first oblique arc electrode 122 and a second oblique arc electrode 123. The arc edge surfaces of the main arc electrode 121, the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 are arranged relative to each other to form an arc transmission channel. The gap between the main arc electrode 121 and the first oblique arc electrode 122 serves as the entrance of the arc transmission channel, and the gap between the main arc electrode 121 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 serves as the exit of the arc transmission channel.

[0042] Specifically, the shapes of the main arc electrode 121, the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 are not unique, and can be fan-shaped cylinders or fan-shaped ring cylinders. Figure 2 As shown, the main arc-shaped electrode 121, the first oblique arc-shaped electrode 122, and the second oblique arc-shaped electrode 123 are arranged with their arc edges facing each other to form an arc-shaped transmission channel 10. The arc edge of the main arc-shaped electrode 121 serves as one side of the arc-shaped transmission channel 10, while the arc edges of the first oblique arc-shaped electrode 122 and the second oblique arc-shaped electrode 123 serve as the other side of the arc-shaped transmission channel 10. The gap between the main arc-shaped electrode 121 and the first oblique arc-shaped electrode 122 serves as the entrance 11 of the arc-shaped transmission channel, and the gap between the main arc-shaped electrode 121 and the second oblique arc-shaped electrode 123 serves as the exit 12 of the arc-shaped transmission channel.

[0043] In one embodiment, the deflection electric field is used to deflect the direction of motion of the ion beam to be measured by 90 degrees within the arc-shaped transmission channel. It will be appreciated that when the direction of motion of the ion beam to be measured is deflected by 90 degrees, since the ion beam to be measured enters along a direction perpendicular to the center of the ion introduction aperture of the entrance electrode assembly and exits along a direction perpendicular to the center of the ion extraction aperture of the exit electrode, the entrance electrode assembly and the exit electrode are disposed perpendicularly on either side of the main arc-shaped electrode 121.

[0044] Furthermore, in one embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the main arc electrode 121, the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 are all cylinders with fan-shaped cross sections. The cross section of the main arc electrode 121 is 1 / 4 arc, the cross section of the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 are both 1 / 8 arc, and the distances from the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 to the main arc electrode are equal.

[0045] Specifically, to deflect the direction of motion of the ion beam to be measured by 90 degrees within the arc-shaped transmission channel, the main arc-shaped electrode 121 can be configured as a cylinder with a cross-section of a quarter-circular arc sector, and the first beveled arc-shaped electrode 122 and the second beveled arc-shaped electrode 123 can both be configured as cylinders with cross-sections of a quarter-circular arc sector and equal radius. The thickness of the main arc-shaped electrode 121, the first beveled arc-shaped electrode 122, and the second beveled arc-shaped electrode 123 along the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the sector plane of the main arc-shaped electrode 121 is not unique and can be set according to actual needs. For example, in this embodiment, a thickness of 20 mm is used.

[0046] Furthermore, if Figure 2 As shown, the first side adjacent to the arc edge of the main arc electrode 121 and the first side adjacent to the arc edge of the first hypotenuse arc electrode 122 are on the same straight line, serving as the first direction. The second side adjacent to the arc edge of the main arc electrode 121 and the first side adjacent to the arc edge of the second hypotenuse arc electrode 123 are on the same straight line, serving as the second direction. The second side adjacent to the arc edge of the first hypotenuse arc electrode 122 and the second side adjacent to the arc edge of the second hypotenuse arc electrode 123 are on the same straight line. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. Furthermore, the distances from the first hypotenuse arc electrode 122 and the second hypotenuse arc electrode 123 to the main arc electrode 121 are equal, that is, the extended lines of the sides of the main arc electrode 121, the first hypotenuse arc electrode 122, and the second hypotenuse arc electrode 123 form an isosceles right triangle when connected.

[0047] In one embodiment, Figure 1As shown, the deflection electrode group further includes a repelling electrode plate 124 , and the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 are disposed at opposite ends of the repelling electrode plate 124 .

[0048] Among them, the repelling electrode plate 124 is also a flat electrode, which together with the arc edges of the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123 constitute the other side of the arc transmission channel 10, effectively filling the gap between the first oblique arc electrode 122 and the second oblique arc electrode 123, and strengthening the deflection effect on the ion beam to be measured. Figure 1 As shown, the repelling electrode plate 124 is configured in a grid shape. Neutral particles and photons, unaffected by the electric field, are injected through the ion introduction hole along the ion introduction direction at the entrance of the arc-shaped transmission channel. They then continue along the ion introduction direction through the grid-shaped repelling electrode plate 124 and are then ejected. This allows the neutral particles and photons to pass through and be removed, reducing contamination of the ion deflection device.

[0049] In one embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the voltage applied by the inlet electrode group is a positive polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the first oblique arc electrode 122, the second oblique arc electrode 123 and the repulsion electrode 124 is a positive polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the main arc electrode 121 is a negative polarity voltage, and the voltage applied by the outlet electrode 130 is a negative polarity voltage, and the voltage applied by the outlet electrode 130 is less than the voltage applied by the main arc electrode 121.

[0050] Specifically, the voltage applied by the entrance electrode group is a positive polarity voltage to form an accelerating electric field, pulling the ion beam to be measured and accelerating it into the arc transmission channel. The voltage applied by the first beveled arc electrode 122, the second beveled arc electrode 123 and the repeller electrode 124 is a positive polarity voltage, and the voltage applied by the main arc electrode 121 is a negative polarity voltage, so as to achieve the application of voltages of opposite polarity on both sides of the arc transmission channel to form a deflection electric field, so that the ion beam to be measured is deflected toward the exit of the arc transmission channel. Among them, the positive voltages applied by the first beveled arc electrode 122 and the second beveled arc electrode 123 are equal in magnitude, and the absolute value is equal to the absolute value of the negative voltage applied to the main arc electrode 121. Finally, a negative polarity voltage is applied to the exit electrode 130 to focus and pull the ion beam to be measured to fly out of the ion extraction hole.

[0051] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the entrance electrode group includes a focusing electrode plate 111 and at least one accelerating electrode plate 112. The focusing electrode plate 111 and each accelerating electrode plate 112 are sequentially arranged along the incident direction of the ion beam to be measured from the previous environment to the arc transmission channel.

[0052] Among them, the focusing electrode plate 111 is used to focus the ion beam to be measured coming from the upper environment. At least one accelerating electrode plate 112 is used to accelerate the ion beam to be measured input after focusing. It can be understood that the number of accelerating electrode plates 112 is not unique and can be set according to the kinetic energy of the ion beam to be measured when it is injected under actual circumstances. For example, in the present embodiment, only one accelerating electrode plate 112 is used to accelerate the ion beam to be measured. In addition, the focusing electrode plate 111 and the at least one accelerating electrode plate 112 have concentric ion introduction holes, and the radius of the ion introduction hole can be the same or gradually increase with the direction of ion introduction, so that the cross-section of the ion introduction port of the focusing electrode plate 111 and the at least one accelerating electrode plate 112 is trapezoidal. In addition, the spacing between the focusing electrode plate 111 and each accelerating electrode plate 112 is set to 2 mm, and the thickness is 2 mm.

[0053] In one embodiment, when there are two or more accelerating electrode plates 112, the voltage applied to each accelerating electrode plate 112 gradually decreases as the ion beam to be measured moves from the previous environment to the arc-shaped transmission channel, and is less than the voltage applied by the focusing electrode plate 111. It is understood that, due to the step-by-step acceleration, the kinetic energy of the ion beam increases upon reaching each stage of the accelerating electrode plate 112, and therefore the applied voltage can also be gradually decreased along the ion introduction direction, thereby reducing energy consumption and conserving resources.

[0054] In one embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the ion deflection device further includes a first compression electrode plate 141 and a second compression electrode plate 142 . The first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142 are arranged opposite to each other, and the deflection electrode group is located between the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142 .

[0055] It can be understood that the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142 are arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the sector-shaped plane of the main arc-shaped electrode 121. That is, the main arc-shaped electrode 121, the first oblique arc-shaped electrode 122, and the second oblique arc-shaped electrode 123 of the deflection electrode group are all located between the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142. The main arc-shaped electrode 121, the first oblique arc-shaped electrode 122, and the second oblique arc-shaped electrode 123 are equidistant from the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142. These plates are also arranged at a predetermined spacing, secured with screws, and electrically isolated by an insulating layer.

[0056] Furthermore, voltages of equal polarity and magnitude are applied to the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142, for example, both are positively polarized. In this embodiment, the opposing compression electrode plates can further compress the ion beam being transmitted through the arc-shaped transmission channel in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the fan-shaped plane of the main arc-shaped electrode 121, thereby preventing the shape of the ion beam from diverging longitudinally and improving ion transmission efficiency.

[0057] like Figure 4 The figure shows the trajectory of an ion beam to be measured, with 100 ions, a mass of 10u, a charge of 1e, and a kinetic energy of 12eV, as it passes through the ion deflection device of the present application, according to one embodiment. The voltage applied to the focusing electrode plate 111 is 300V, the voltage applied to the accelerating electrode plate 112 is 60V, the voltage applied to the main arc electrode 121 is -100V, the voltage applied to the first bevel arc electrode 122 and the second bevel arc electrode 123 are both 100V, the voltage applied to the repelling electrode plate 124 is 100V, the voltage applied to the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142 are both 60V, and the voltage applied to the outlet electrode 130 is 0V.

[0058] Specifically, the high-temperature plasma in the ion generating device instantly ionizes the sample, and the resulting ion beam to be measured passes through the sampling cone and skimmer cone in the ion interface device along with the argon gas flow. Immediately following the skimmer cone is the focusing electrode plate 111 in the ion deflection device of the present application. By applying a positive voltage to the focusing electrode plate 111, the ion beam to be measured coming from the skimmer cone is focused. A positive voltage is then applied to the accelerating electrode plate 112, accelerating the ion beam to be measured coming from the focusing electrode plate 111 into the arc transmission channel, thereby increasing the kinetic energy of the ion beam to be measured. The main arc electrode 121, the first beveled arc electrode 122, the second beveled arc electrode 123, and the repelling electrode plate 124 together form an arc transmission channel. By applying a positive voltage to the first beveled arc electrode 122 and the second beveled arc electrode 123, and a negative voltage to the main arc electrode 121, a fixed electric field is generated, which can deflect the ions to be measured by ninety degrees along a predetermined trajectory. By applying a positive voltage to the first compression electrode plate 141 and the second compression electrode plate 142, the ion beam to be measured can be further compressed in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the fan-shaped plane of the main arc-shaped electrode 121. By applying a positive voltage to the repeller electrode plate 124, the ion beam to be measured can be further deflected. Finally, by applying a negative voltage to the exit electrode 130, the ion beam can be focused at the exit of the arc-shaped transmission channel, ultimately allowing the focused ion beam to enter the subsequent mass analysis device.

[0059] In one embodiment, Figure 5As shown, a mass spectrometer is provided, including an ion generating device 200, an ion interface device 300, a mass analysis device 400 and the above-mentioned ion deflection device 100. The ion generating device 200 is used to generate an ion beam to be measured. The ion beam to be measured passes through the ion interface device 300 and the ion deflection device 100 in sequence, and then enters the mass analysis device 400 to complete mass analysis.

[0060] Specifically, the sample is ionized by the ion generator 200 to produce an ion beam to be measured. This ion beam then enters the ion deflection device 100 through the ion interface device 300, where neutral particles and photons are removed. After being deflected by the ion deflection device 100, the ion beam enters the mass analyzer 400 for quantitative or qualitative analysis. The ion interface device 300, which includes a sampling cone and a skimmer cone, forms the interface portion of the mass spectrometer, enabling transition to a vacuum environment and extraction of the ion beam to be measured.

[0061] Furthermore, each part of the mass spectrometer requires a vacuum system to provide a vacuum environment. For example, the vacuum environment of the ion interface device 300 is achieved by a mechanical pump, and the vacuum degree can be set according to specific needs, for example, less than 200 Pa. The vacuum environment of the ion deflection device 100 and the mass analysis device 400 can also be vacuumed by a molecular pump, and the vacuum degree can also be set according to specific needs. For example, the ion deflection device 100 can be controlled at 10 -2 -10 -3 Pa, the mass analyzer 400 can be controlled at 10 -5 -10 -6 Pa.

[0062] The mass spectrometer used in the embodiments of the present application is an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ion generator 21 is a device that applies high-frequency power to a coil coupled to a plasma torch to form a plasma. The mass analyzer 25 can be implemented using a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a magnetic field mass spectrometer, or a time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

[0063] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0064] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art could make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ion deflection device, characterized in that: The invention comprises an entrance electrode group, a deflection electrode group and an exit electrode, wherein the deflection electrode group comprises a main arc electrode, a first oblique arc electrode, a second oblique arc electrode and a repeller electrode plate, wherein the main arc electrode, the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are all cylinders with fan-shaped cross sections, and the arc side surfaces of the main arc electrode, the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are arranged opposite to each other to form an arc transmission channel, the gap between the main arc electrode and the first oblique arc electrode serves as the entrance of the arc transmission channel, and the gap between the main arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode serves as the exit of the arc transmission channel, the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are arranged at opposite ends of the same side of the repeller electrode plate, and the repeller electrode plate is arranged in a grid shape, the entrance electrode group is provided with an ion introduction hole, the ion introduction hole is located at the entrance of the arc transmission channel, and the exit electrode is provided with an ion extraction hole, the ion extraction hole is located at the exit of the arc transmission channel; Voltages are applied to the entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group, and the exit electrode, forming a deflection electric field in the arc transmission channel, introducing the ion beam to be measured from the previous environment into the arc transmission channel through the ion introduction hole, and deflecting the movement direction of the ion beam to be measured, so that the ion beam to be measured is transmitted from the ion extraction hole to the next environment.

2. The ion deflection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The deflection electric field is used to deflect the moving direction of the ion beam to be measured by 90 degrees in the arc-shaped transmission channel.

3. The ion deflection device according to claim 2, characterized in that The thickness of the main arc-shaped electrode, the first oblique-side arc-shaped electrode, and the second oblique-side arc-shaped electrode along the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the fan-shaped plane of the main arc-shaped electrode is 20 mm.

4. The ion deflection device according to claim 3, characterized in that The cross section of the main arc electrode is 1 / 4 arc, the cross section of the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode are both 1 / 8 arc, and the distances from the first oblique arc electrode and the second oblique arc electrode to the main arc electrode are equal.

5. The ion deflection device according to claim 3, characterized in that The entrance electrode group, the deflection electrode group and the exit electrode are insulated from each other and are fixedly arranged at a preset spacing distance.

6. The ion deflection device according to claim 4, characterized in that The voltage applied by the inlet electrode group is a positive polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the first oblique arc electrode, the second oblique arc electrode and the repulsion electrode plate is a positive polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the main arc electrode is a negative polarity voltage, the voltage applied by the outlet electrode is a negative polarity voltage, and the voltage applied by the outlet electrode is less than the voltage applied by the main arc electrode.

7. The ion deflection device according to claim 1, wherein: The entrance electrode group includes a focusing electrode plate and at least one accelerating electrode plate, and the focusing electrode plate and each accelerating electrode plate are sequentially arranged along the incident direction of the ion beam to be measured from the upper environment to the arc transmission channel.

8. The ion deflection device according to claim 7, characterized in that There are more than two accelerating electrode plates, and the voltage applied on each accelerating electrode plate gradually decreases as the incident direction of the ion beam to be measured from the previous environment to the arc transmission channel, and is smaller than the voltage applied by the focusing electrode plate.

9. The ion deflection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that It also includes a first compression electrode plate and a second compression electrode plate, the first compression electrode plate and the second compression electrode plate are arranged opposite to each other, and the deflection electrode group is located between the first compression electrode plate and the second compression electrode plate.

10. A mass spectrometer, characterized in that It comprises an ion generating device, an ion interface device, a mass analysis device and an ion deflection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ion generating device is used to generate an ion beam to be measured, and the ion beam to be measured passes through the ion interface device and the ion deflection device in sequence, and then enters the mass analysis device to complete mass analysis.

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