Suspended Flexure Mounting for Quadrupole Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniature quadrupole mass spectrometers face challenges in maintaining electrical performance and mechanical stability due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatches between electrodes and their mounts, leading to reduced mass range and resolution, especially in miniature devices where precision construction is difficult to achieve.
Innovation Solution
A mounting arrangement using a suspended flexure system with flexible and rigid supports on insulating substrates, incorporating a portal frame elastic suspension to accommodate thermal expansion, ensuring axial alignment and strain relief while allowing for relative movement of electrodes, thus compensating for thermal coefficient differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rigid mounting is used to ensure precise alignment, then manufacturing precision is improved, but thermal strain causes misalignment due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arrangement transitions from a static rigid connection to a dynamic compliant connection that can adapt to thermal expansion. The flexible mounting members allow the electrodes to move relative to the support member, accommodating differential thermal expansion while maintaining electrical connection and alignment during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting arrangement changes the mechanical parameters of the connection by introducing compliance through flexible mounting members. This allows the system to accommodate dimensional changes in the electrodes due to thermal expansion while maintaining the electrical and geometric relationships necessary for proper quadrupole operation.
2Volume of moving object
If miniature size is reduced for portability, then device compactness is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in achieving precise construction
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arrangement segments the support structure into a support member and separate flexible mounting members. This segmentation allows the rigid support member to maintain precise positioning while the flexible mounting members accommodate manufacturing tolerances and thermal expansion, making it feasible to construct miniature quadrupoles with adequate precision.
3Reliability
If thermal expansion compensation is provided, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional flexible mounting components
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arrangement uses flexible mounting members that can be implemented as thin, compliant structures. These flexible elements provide thermal expansion compensation through their inherent elasticity without requiring complex mechanisms, maintaining simplicity while improving reliability across temperature variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution maintains precise alignment and electrical performance while allowing for thermal expansion, enhancing the mass range and resolution of miniature quadrupole mass filters, linear quadrupole ion traps, and quadrupole ion guides by effectively managing thermal strains and mechanical sensitivity to temperature variations.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a portal frame elastic suspension to accommodate thermal expansion
Implementation Method 2
compensating for thermal coefficient differences between both the electrode and the support member
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
This invention provides a method of mounting cylindrical electrodes in the geometry of a miniature electrostatic quadrupole, which can act as a quadrupole mass filter or a quadrupole ion guide, or be used in a linear quadrupole ion trap. The electrodes are mounted in pairs on microfabricated supports, which are formed from conducting parts on an insulating substrate. The supports include a suspended flexure system to relieve strains caused by mismatch between the thermal expansion coefficients of the electrodes and the substrate. A complete quadrupole is constructed from two such supports, which are spaced apart by further conducting spacers.