Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer Cold Electron Source
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mass spectrometers using thermionic filaments for electron beam production face challenges with high power consumption and slow electron emission, making them unsuitable for portable devices that require continuous and pulse ionization within short times.
Innovation Solution
An ion trap mass spectrometer utilizing a cold electron source with a microchannel plate (MCP) and channeltron electron multiplier (CEM), where ultraviolet photons from a UV LED induce initial electron emission, and amplified electron beams are focused and injected into an ion trap, enhancing ionization efficiency with a quadrupole field as an ion filter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermionic filament is used to produce electron beams, then electron emission can be achieved, but power consumption becomes excessively high and electron emission response is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermionic emission mechanism (heating filament) with a field emission mechanism using cold cathode and UV irradiation. The UV photons from LED excite electrons in the MCP to emit through the front surface, eliminating the need for high-temperature heating and significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable electron emission capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters from high-temperature thermionic emission to room-temperature field emission triggered by UV photons. By using UV-irradiated cold electron source with MCP and CEM, the system achieves rapid electron emission response without the slow thermal heating process, solving both the power consumption and response time issues
2Reliability
If a thermionic filament is used, then continuous electron beam can be produced, but the device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the heavy thermionic filament system with a lightweight cold electron source system using UV LED and MCP/CEM. This substitution dramatically reduces device weight and size while maintaining the capability for continuous and pulsed electron beam production, making the mass spectrometer suitable for portable applications
Solution Approach 2:
The UV-irradiated cold electron source with MCP and CEM serves multiple functions: it can produce both continuous and pulsed electron beams, provides rapid response capability, and enables portable device configuration. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate systems for different operating modes, reducing overall device complexity and weight
3Reliability
If high current is flowed through high-temperature metal to heat filament, then electron emission is induced, but power consumption increases and battery power is rapidly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the high-power thermionic heating system with a low-power UV photon irradiation system. The UV LED excites electrons in the MCP to emit through the front surface, requiring minimal power compared to heating high-temperature metals. This dramatically reduces battery power consumption while maintaining reliable electron emission induction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces UV photons as an intermediary to trigger electron emission. Instead of directly heating the filament, UV photons from the LED serve as the activating mechanism for cold electron emission in the MCP, providing an efficient energy transfer path that minimizes power consumption while ensuring reliable electron emission
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 configuration reduces power consumption, allows for efficient and controlled electron beam production, and increases ionization rates, making the device suitable for portable mass spectrometers with improved performance and reduced size and weight.
Implementation Method 1
an ultraviolet diode which emits ultraviolet rays to the inside of the mass spectrometer vacuum chamber
Implementation Method 2
an MCP module which induces initial electron emission of ultraviolet photons emitted from the ultraviolet diode, amplifies the emitted electrons
Implementation Method 3
a microchannel plate (MCP) electron multiplier plate, where ultraviolet photons from a UV LED induce initial electron emission, and amplified electron beams are focused
Implementation Method 4
a CEM module which amplifies the electron beam emitted from the MCP module, and obtains electron beams in quantity
Implementation Method 5
an electron focusing lens which focuses the electron beam amplified through the CEM module
Implementation Method 6
an ion trap mass separator which ionizes the gaseous sample molecules and traps the gaseous sample molecules in a certain space using the electron beams injected through the electron focusing lens
Implementation Method 7
since a quadrupole field is used as an ion filter, initially injected electrons return to the inside of the ion trap mass separator
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an ion trap mass spectrometer using a cold electron source, in a production of a portable mass spectrometer, in which a microchannel plate (MCP) module is used, initial electrons are induced by injecting ultraviolet photons emitted from an ultraviolet diode to a front surface of the MCP module, electron beams amplified from the electrons are amplified using a channeltron electron multiplier (CEM), the amplified electron beams are accurately adjusted and injected into an ion trap, thus increasing the amplification rate, and since a quadrupole field is used as an ion filter which returns the initially injected electrons to the inside of an ion trap mass separator, the ionization rate increases.