PCB Ion Funnel Structure With Guard Rails and Gas Venting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ion funnels face challenges in precision assembly, ion loss due to gaps, and gas accumulation, which limit their efficiency and compatibility with high-volume production techniques, especially when using printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Innovation Solution
A pyramidal ion funnel design using multiple triangular faces formed from PCBs with electrode tracks and guard rails, allowing for efficient ion focusing without physical contact between boards, venting of gas, and reduced ion loss, facilitated by RF and DC voltage application and DC biasing of guard rails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional stacked plate ion funnels are used with decreasing apertures, then ion focusing efficiency is improved, but assembly precision requirements increase and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ion funnel is divided into multiple discrete PCB plates with apertures, where each plate is a separate manufacturable unit. This segmentation allows standard PCB fabrication techniques to be used, improving manufacturing precision while reducing assembly complexity through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
A distributed voltage distribution network is introduced as an intermediary system that automatically provides the necessary RF and DC voltages to each electrode plate. This eliminates complex manual wiring and precision assembly requirements, allowing standard PCB mounting techniques to be used instead.
2Strength
If solid construction ion funnel design is used, then structural integrity is improved, but gas accumulation increases and ion transmission decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The PCB plates are designed with apertures (holes) that allow gas to pass through radially outward. This porous structure maintains structural integrity while enabling gas venting, preventing gas accumulation that would otherwise interfere with ion motion in the exit region.
3Measurement precision
If fine pitch electrodes are used, then ion focusing precision is improved, but electrode pitch limitations from PCB sockets increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connection system using PCB sockets and physical wiring is replaced with a distributed voltage network that can be implemented through standard PCB trace routing. This substitution removes the physical pitch limitations imposed by socket dimensions, allowing finer electrode spacing to achieve better ion focusing precision.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual assembly techniques are used, then assembly precision is improved, but productivity decreases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ion funnel is designed as modular PCB plates that can be manufactured using standard automated PCB fabrication techniques. This segmentation enables high-volume production while maintaining precision through automated manufacturing processes rather than manual assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The design parameters are optimized to be compatible with standard PCB manufacturing tolerances and capabilities. By adjusting the electrode geometry, aperture sizes, and voltage distribution parameters to match standard PCB fabrication capabilities, the system achieves required precision through automated manufacturing rather than manual assembly.
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
The design enhances ion transmission efficiency from 30% to 85% without requiring precise assembly, enables gas venting, and allows for mass production using standard PCB techniques, reducing the complexity and component count.
Implementation Method 1
RF potentials of opposite polarity are applied on adjacent electrodes to create an effective potential- sometimes referred to as a pseudopotential- that radially confines the ions passing through the ion funnel
Implementation Method 2
As successive electrodes have decreasing apertures, the net result is that a spatially dispersed ion cloud entering the ion funnel is efficiently focused to a much smaller radial size on exiting the ion funnel
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2
AI summary
An ion funnel fabricated from at least three faces that are each formed from a printed circuit board is described. In one aspect the faces are arranged edge to edge and there is provided a set of guard rails proximal to the edges to bias ions away from the edges. In another aspect slots are provided within the circuit board to facilitate an escape of gases from within the funnel.