Mass spectrum photoionization source based on microstructure folding mirror

Abstract

The invention discloses a mass spectrum photoionization source based on a microstructure folding mirror, which comprises a first reflector and a second reflector, and the first reflector and the second reflector are oppositely arranged and are spaced by a preset distance to form a photoionization area; the surface of the first reflecting mirror and the surface of the second reflecting mirror are composed of a plurality of micro inclined planes, the sizes of the micro inclined planes are millimeter-to-submillimeter magnitude, and the micro inclined planes are irregularly arranged to form a micro folded plane array, so that incident light can be reflected back and forth between the first reflecting mirror and the second reflecting mirror to form light beams in multiple directions; therefore, the collision frequency of light and gas molecules is increased, and the ionization efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of photoionization, and specifically relates to a mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror. Background Art

[0002] In traditional vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization technology, the output photons of a VUV light source usually have relatively high energy and can effectively ionize gas molecules. However, since the optical path design in traditional photoionization devices usually relies on single-mirror reflection, this method can only enable the light to have a limited intersection with gas molecules. The number of intersections and the interaction frequency between light and gas molecules are relatively low, thus limiting the improvement of photon utilization efficiency and ionization efficiency.

[0003] Although there are already some technologies (such as arc reflectors, cylindrical reflectors) that increase the intersection frequency between light and gas molecules by extending the optical path, these designs often require a large volume, and under a high-energy VUV light source, the reflection efficiency may decrease due to multiple reflections and light scattering.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the utilization efficiency of photons, especially in a limited space, has become an important issue in enhancing VUV photoionization efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror to solve the above problems. For this purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror may include a first mirror and a second mirror. The first mirror and the second mirror are placed opposite to each other and are separated by a predetermined distance to form a photoionization region. The surfaces of the first mirror and the second mirror are composed of a plurality of micro-inclined planes. The sizes of the plurality of micro-inclined planes are in the millimeter to sub-millimeter range, and they are arranged irregularly to form a micro-faceted array, such that incident light energy can be reflected back and forth between the first mirror and the second mirror, forming light beams in multiple directions, thereby increasing the collision frequency between light and gas molecules and improving the ionization efficiency.

[0007] In one embodiment, the predetermined distance is 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0008] In one embodiment, the inclination angle of the micro-inclined plane is 5° to 30°.

[0009] In one embodiment, the height of the micro-inclined plane is 0.1 to 1 mm.

[0010] In one embodiment, first electrodes and second electrodes are respectively arranged at two ends of the first mirror and the second mirror, wherein a gas molecular beam inlet is provided on the first electrode, and an ion beam outlet is provided on the second electrode.

[0011] In one embodiment, an opening is provided at a position of the first mirror close to the first electrode, and the incident light enters through the opening.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention adopting the above technical solutions are as follows

[0013] 1) The optical path of light in the photoionization region is significantly extended, improving the utilization rate of light;

[0014] 2) Multiple reflections and scatterings of the micro-structured faceted mirror make the propagation direction of light more random, forming multi-directional light beams. The light beams cross gas molecules frequently, increasing the collision frequency between light and gas molecules, and thus improving the ionization efficiency. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a micro-structured faceted mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0016] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so as to more clearly understand the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings are not limitations on the scope of the present invention, but only to illustrate the essential spirit of the technical solution of the present invention.

[0017] In the following description, certain specific details are set forth for purposes of explaining various disclosed embodiments to provide a thorough understanding of the various disclosed embodiments. However, one or more of these specific details may be practiced without these specific details by those skilled in the relevant art. In other instances, well-known devices, structures, and techniques associated with the present application may not be shown or described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the description of the embodiments.

[0018] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the words "comprise" and its variations, such as "comprises" and "having", should be understood in an open, inclusive sense, i.e., should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to".

[0019] References to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" in the course of this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any manner in one or more embodiments.

[0020] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be noted that the term "or" is generally used in its inclusive sense of "and / or" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0021] In the following description, for the purpose of clearly showing the structure and working mode of the present invention, many directional terms will be used for description. However, terms such as "front", "rear", "left", "right", "outer", "inner", "outward", "inward", "up", "down", etc. should be understood as convenient terms and should not be understood as restrictive terms.

[0022] In addition, terms such as "horizontal", "vertical", "hanging", etc. do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or hanging, but may be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but may be slightly inclined.

[0023] In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "arranged", "installed", "connected", and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0024] As Figure 1 shown, a mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured folding mirror may include a first mirror 1 and a second mirror 2. The first mirror 1 and the second mirror 2 are placed opposite to each other and are spaced apart by a predetermined distance to form a photoionization region. The surfaces of the first mirror 1 and the second mirror 2 are composed of a plurality of micro-inclined surfaces. The sizes of the plurality of micro-inclined surfaces are in the millimeter to sub-millimeter range (for example, the height of the micro-inclined surface is 0.1 - 1 mm), and are arranged irregularly to form a micro-folding surface array, such that incident light (UV) can be reflected back and forth between the first mirror 1 and the second mirror 2 to form light beams in multiple directions, thereby increasing the collision frequency between light and gas molecules and improving the ionization efficiency.

[0025] The core design of this mass spectrometry photoionization source lies in the optical surfaces of the microstructured mirrors. The surfaces of these mirrors are composed of multiple miniature inclined surfaces with an inclination angle ranging from 5° to 30°. The arrangement of these inclined surfaces is irregular, thus forming a miniature refraction array. When light enters the first mirror, the light beam undergoes multiple scatterings through the refraction and reflection of the microstructured mirrors, and the direction of the light continuously changes. Under the action of the second mirror, these light rays are reflected back into the photoionization region again.

[0026] The distance between the two mirrors (the first mirror 1 and the second mirror 2) is set to be between 2 mm and 5 mm. This design helps the light to undergo multiple reflections in the photoionization region, thereby significantly extending the optical path and improving the utilization rate of light. Compared with the traditional single reflection path, this design greatly increases the cross frequency of light and gas molecules.

[0027] When the light is reflected by the surfaces of multiple microstructured mirrors, irregular scattering and refraction occur, making the propagation direction of the light more random. This multi-directional light beam intersects with gas molecules frequently in the ionization region, significantly increasing the collision probability between light and gas molecules. Therefore, within the same time, more gas molecules will be ionized, thus improving the ionization efficiency.

[0028] At both ends of the first mirror and the second mirror, a first electrode U1 and a second electrode U2 are respectively arranged. Among them, the first electrode U1 is provided with a gas molecular beam inlet, and the second electrode U2 is provided with an ion beam outlet. The gas molecular beam inlet is usually relatively narrow. When gas enters the ionization region through the gas molecular beam inlet, it comes into full contact with the light, maximizing the interaction between light and gas molecules. This design optimizes the interaction between gas flow and the light beam, thus effectively improving the efficiency in the photoionization process. The first electrode U1 and the second electrode U2 form an electric field, which can extract the ions generated in the photoionization process from the ion beam outlet for convenient mass spectrometry analysis. By adjusting the electric field strength and the position of the ion beam outlet, the ion extraction efficiency can be optimized, and the ionization products can be directed to analysis equipment such as a mass spectrometer for subsequent analysis and data processing.

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, an opening 11 is provided at the position of the first mirror 1 close to the first electrode, and the incident light enters through this opening 11. That is to say, the light source is arranged outside the first mirror 1. It should be understood that the incident angle of UV can be adjusted as needed.

[0030] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, it should be understood that after reading the above teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention. These equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims of this application.

Claims

1. A mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructure folding mirror, characterized in that, The mass spectrometry photoionization source includes a first mirror and a second mirror, which are placed opposite to each other and are separated by a predetermined distance to form a photoionization region; the surfaces of the first mirror and the second mirror are composed of a plurality of micro-inclined surfaces, the sizes of the plurality of micro-inclined surfaces are in the millimeter to sub-millimeter range, and the arrangement is irregular, forming a micro-folded surface array, so that the incident light energy can be reflected back and forth between the first mirror and the second mirror to form light beams in multiple directions.

2. The mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror according to claim 1, wherein The predetermined distance is 2 mm to 5 mm.

3. The mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inclination angle of the micro-inclined surface is 5° to 30°.

4. The mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructure folding mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the micro-inclined surface is 0.1 to 1 mm.

5. The mass spectrometry optoelectronic ionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that, First electrodes and second electrodes are respectively arranged at both ends of the first mirror and the second mirror. Among them, the first electrode is provided with a gas molecular beam inlet, and the second electrode is provided with an ion beam outlet.

6. The mass spectrometry photoionization source based on a microstructured faceted mirror according to claim 5, characterized in that, An opening is provided at a position of the first mirror close to the first electrode, and the incident light is incident through the opening.

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