Tilted Ring Electrode Ion Focusing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ion guiding devices face challenges in achieving effective ion focusing at high pressures or low vacuums, often resulting in reduced transmission efficiency and increased complexity in manufacturing and assembly, particularly due to the need for varying electrode diameters and spacings.
Innovation Solution
The use of a plurality of ring electrodes with the same size disposed in parallel, where the connection line of centers defines the axis, and an included angle between the normal of a plane and the tangent line of the axis ranges from 0 to 90 degrees, with out-phase radio-frequency voltage and amplitude-changing direct-current voltage applied to confine and focus ions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ring electrodes with equal diameters and equal spaces are arranged along the axis, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the receiving area is limited and the ion beam cannot be focused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tilted arrangement of ring electrodes relative to the ion beam axis, creating an angular dimension in the electrode configuration. This tilted geometry allows the ion beam to be focused onto a specific region of the detector while maintaining equal diameter and equal spacing between electrodes, thus achieving focusing capability without compromising manufacturing simplicity.
2Area of stationary object
If ring electrodes with gradually reduced diameters are used (ion funnel technique), then the receiving area increases and ion beam focusing is achieved, but the processing and assembling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tilting only the arrangement angle of the ring electrodes while keeping their diameters equal. This localized geometric modification at the arrangement level (rather than modifying each electrode's diameter) achieves the focusing effect and increased receiving area while maintaining uniform electrode dimensions for simpler manufacturing and assembly.
3Area of stationary object
If a large space between electrodes is used to move the radio-frequency barrier towards the center, then ion focusing is achieved, but transmission efficiency decreases at high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic control through applied electric fields (direct current and radio frequency voltages) to manipulate ion trajectories and the radio-frequency barrier position. This dynamic field control enables ion focusing and maintains transmission efficiency at high pressure without requiring fixed geometric changes such as increased electrode spacing, thus resolving the contradiction between focusing capability and transmission efficiency.
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 effectively achieves ion focusing and reduces neutral noise, simplifying processing, manufacturing, and assembly while maintaining high transmission efficiency across varying pressure conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The radio-frequency voltage forms an effective barrier around a central axis of the device for confining the ions
Implementation Method 2
a direct-current voltage or travelling wave voltage is applied along the axis to drive the ions
Implementation Method 3
the difference of the direct-current voltage guides the ions to enter the ring electrode array with a smaller diameter from the ring electrode array with a larger diameter
Data Source
AI summary
An ion guiding device includes ring electrodes with a same size disposed in parallel; wherein a connection line of centers of the ring electrodes is defined as an axis, a normal of a plane where any of the ring electrodes is located and a tangent line of the axis at a center of the ring electrode form an included angle being a range of (0, 90) degrees; a radio-frequency voltage source, for applying an out-phase radio-frequency voltage on a neighboring ring electrode along the axis, so that ions are confined inside the ring electrode during a transmission process; and a direct-current voltage source, applying a direct-current voltage with an amplitude changing along the axis on the ring electrode, so that the ions are transmitted along the axis and focused to a position closer to an inner surface of the ring electrode along a direction of the normal.