Ion detector and mass spectrometer each including multiple dynodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11640902-B2
Application number	US-202117241224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

An ion detector includes a first dynode, a second dynode, a scintillator, a conductive layer, and a photomultiplier tube. The first dynode is configured to emit a charged particle in response to the incidence of the ion. The second dynode is configured to be given a negative potential and emit a secondary electron in response to incidence of the charged particle from the first dynode. The scintillator includes an electron incident surface arranged to receive the secondary electron from the second dynode, and is configured to convert the secondary electron into light. The conductive layer is disposed on the electron incident surface. The photomultiplier tube is configured to detect the light from the scintillator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ion detector for detecting an incident ion, comprising:
a first dynode configured to emit a charged particle in response to incidence of the ion;
a second dynode configured to be given a negative potential and emit a secondary electron in response to incidence of the charged particle from the first dynode;
a scintillator including an electron incident surface arranged to receive the secondary electron from the second dynode, and configured to convert the secondary electron into light;
a conductive layer disposed on the electron incident surface; and
a photomultiplier tube configured to detect the light from the scintillator.

2. The ion detector according to claim 1 , wherein
the scintillator includes a light exit surface arranged to emit light,
the photomultiplier tube includes a light incident window arranged to receive the light from the light exit surface, and
the light exit surface is disposed in close proximity to the light incident window.

3. The ion detector according to claim 1 , wherein
the first dynode is configured to be given a negative potential to convert a positive ion into the secondary electron, and the second dynode is configured to allow the secondary electron from the first dynode to be incident on the electron incident surface of the scintillator, in the ion detector configured to detect the positive ion.

4. The ion detector according to claim 1 , wherein
the first dynode is configured to be given a positive potential to convert a negative ion into a positive ion, and the second dynode is configured to convert the positive ion from the first dynode into the secondary electron and allow the secondary electron to be incident on the electron incident surface of the scintillator, in the ion detector configured to detect the negative ion.

5. The ion detector according to claim 1 , wherein
the scintillator is configured to be given a negative potential, and
the second dynode is configured to be given the negative potential whose magnitude is larger than a magnitude of the negative potential given to the scintillator.

6. The ion detector according to claim 3 , wherein
the second dynode is configured to be given a negative potential whose magnitude is between a magnitude of the negative potential given to the first dynode and a magnitude of the negative potential given to the scintillator, in the ion detector configured to detect a positive ion.

7. The ion detector according to claim 1 , wherein
the photomultiplier tube includes a side tube configured to be given a cathode potential, and
the conductive layer is electrically connected to the side tube.

8. The ion detector according to claim 1 , further comprising
a cover covering the second dynode,
wherein the cover includes a first passage port arranged to allow the charged particle from the first dynode to pass therethrough and a second passage port arranged to allow the secondary electron from the second dynode to pass therethrough.

9. The ion detector according to claim 8 , further comprising a mesh covering the first passage port and being configured to be given a negative potential.

10. The ion detector according to claim 8 , wherein
the first dynode is disposed to be spaced apart from a virtual plane including the second dynode, the second passage port, and the electron incident surface of the scintillator, and
the first dynode is configured to allow the charged particle from the first dynode to be incident on the second dynode from a direction intersecting the virtual plane.

11. An ion detector for detecting an incident ion, comprising:
a first dynode configured to emit a charged particle in response to incidence of the ion;
a second dynode configured to be given a negative potential and emit a secondary electron in response to incidence of the charged particle from the first dynode; and
a diode including an electron incident surface arranged to receive the secondary electron from the second dynode, and configured to detect the incident secondary electron.

12. The ion detector according to claim 11 , wherein
the first dynode is configured to be given a negative potential to convert a positive ion into the secondary electron, and the second dynode is configured to allow the secondary electron from the first dynode to be incident on the electron incident surface, in the ion detector configured to detect the positive ion.

13. The ion detector according to claim 11 , wherein
the first dynode is configured to be given a positive potential to convert a negative ion into a positive ion, and the second dynode is configured to convert the positive ion from the first dynode into the secondary electron and allow the secondary electron to be incident on the electron incident surface, in the ion detector configured to detect the negative ion.

14. The ion detector according to claim 11 , further comprising
a cover covering the second dynode,
wherein the cover includes a first passage port arranged to allow the charged particle from the first dynode to pass therethrough and a second passage port arranged to allow the secondary electron from the second dynode to pass therethrough.

15. The ion detector according to claim 14 , further comprising
a mesh covering the first passage port and being configured to be given a negative potential.

16. The ion detector according to claim 14 , wherein
the first dynode is disposed to be spaced apart from a virtual plane including the second dynode, the second passage port, and the electron incident surface, and
the first dynode is configured to allow the charged particle from the first dynode to be incident on the second dynode from a direction intersecting the virtual plane.

17. The ion detector according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a substrate on which the diode is disposed; and
a drive circuit configured to drive the diode,
wherein the drive circuit includes an electrical resistance element including one end electrically connected to an anode of the diode, and another end configured to be grounded, and
the electrical resistance element is spaced apart from the diode and the substrate.

18. An ion detector for detecting an incident ion, comprising:
a first dynode configured to emit a charged particle in response to incidence of the ion;
a second dynode configured to be given a negative potential and emit a secondary electron in response to incidence of the charged particle from the first dynode; and
a detection unit including an electron incident surface arranged to receive the secondary electron from the second dynode, and configured to detect the incident secondary electron.

19. A mass spectrometer comprising:
an ionization unit configured to ionize a sample;
a mass spectrometer unit configured to allow only an ion to be detected to pass among ions from the ionization unit; and
the ion detector according to claim 1 configured to detect the ion to be detected from the mass spectrometer unit.

20. A mass spectrometer comprising:
an ionization unit configured to ionize a sample;
a mass spectrometer unit configured to allow only an ion to be detected to pass among ions from the ionization unit; and
the ion detector according to claim 11 configured to detect the ion to be detected from the mass spectrometer unit.

21. A mass spectrometer comprising:
an ionization unit configured to ionize a sample;
a mass spectrometer unit configured to allow only an ion to be detected to pass among ions from the ioniza

Assignees

• Hamamatsu Photonics Kk

Inventors

• Kobayashi Hiroshi
• Kondo Junichi

Classifications

• G01N27/62 Primary

  by investigating the ionisation of gases, e.g. aerosols; by investigating electric discharges, e.g. emission of cathode · CPC title

• H01J49/025 Primary

  Detectors specially adapted to particle spectrometers (data acquisition H01J49/0036; detectors per se G01T, e.g. G01T1/28, G01T1/29) · CPC title

• H01J43/10

  Dynodes (H01J43/24, H01J43/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J43/22

  Dynodes consisting of electron-permeable material, e.g. foil, grid, tube, venetian blind · CPC title