Time-of-flight mass analysers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12592373-B2
Application number	US-202217844219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2022
Priority date	Jun 25, 2021
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a vacuum chamber and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer wherein the time-of-flight mass spectrometer is contained within the vacuum chamber. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode being spaced apart from the first electrode at a distance defining a portion of an ion-flight path therebetween. The assembly further comprising a first support for supporting the first electrode, the first support arranged between an inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the first electrode. The first support is configured to permit relative movement between at least a portion of the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the first electrode. The inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the first electrode are thermally coupled. The present invention also relates to a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass analyser. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for out-gassing to remove contaminants from surfaces within a vacuum chamber by heating and subsequently cooling the surfaces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An assembly comprising a vacuum chamber and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, wherein the time-of-flight mass spectrometer is contained within the vacuum chamber,
the time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode being spaced apart from the first electrode at a distance defining a portion of an ion-flight path therebetween;
the assembly comprising:
a first support for supporting the first electrode, the first support arranged between an inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the first electrode;
wherein the first support is configured to permit relative movement between at least a portion of the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the first electrode; and
wherein the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the first electrode, the second electrode, or a combination thereof, are thermally coupled, and
wherein the inner surface and the first electrode, the second electrode, or a combination thereof, are thermally coupled to the vacuum chamber by one or more flexible thermal conductors.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly further comprises a second support for supporting the second electrode, the second support arranged between the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the second electrode, wherein the second support is configured to permit relative movement between at least a portion of the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the second electrode, and wherein the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the second electrode are thermally coupled.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each flexible thermal conductor comprises one or more thermally conductive wires.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 , wherein each flexible thermal conductor comprises a first mount configured to connect the flexible thermal conductor to the respective electrode and a second mount configured to connect the flexible thermal conductor to the inner surface of the vacuum chamber, wherein the one or more thermally conductive wires extend between the first mount and the second mount, wherein the first mount and the second mount are thermally conductive.

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first mount is electrically insulated from the respective electrode.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support is thermally conductive thereby thermally coupling the inner surface of the vacuum chamber to the respective electrode.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support comprises a surface configured to support the respective electrode thereon, wherein the surface is electrically insulative.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support permits relative translation of the respective electrode relative to at least a portion of the inner surface of the vacuum chamber.

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support comprises one or more rotatable elements, each rotatable element having a curved surface configured to support the respective electrode thereon.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein each rotatable element is a ball, wherein the ball is received by a holder such that the ball is rotatable relative to the holder and wherein the holder is coupled to the inner surface of the vacuum chamber.

11 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the inner surface of the vacuum chamber comprises a complementary recess for receiving each rotatable element.

12 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support comprises a lubricated layer, wherein the lubricated layer is electrically insulative, wherein the first support is a first portion of the lubricated layer and the second support is a second portion of the lubricated layer, wherein the first support and the second support are integrally formed.

13 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support comprises a layer having a low coefficient of friction and formed of an electrically insulative material, wherein the first support is a first portion of the layer and the second support is a second portion of the layer, wherein the first support and the second support are integrally formed.

14 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support comprises one or more wires configured to suspend the respective electrode from the inner surface of the vacuum chamber.

15 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support comprises one or more springs extending between the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and the electrodes.

16 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the time-of-flight mass spectrometer is a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the multi-reflection time-of flight mass analyser comprising a first ion-optical mirror comprising at least the first electrode and a second ion-optical mirror comprising at least the second electrode, the second ion-optical mirror being spaced apart from the first ion-optical mirror at a distance defining at least the portion of the ion-flight path therebetween, wherein the first ion-optical mirror comprises a first plurality of electrodes spaced apart from each other and/or wherein the second ion-optical mirror comprises a second plurality of electrodes spaced apart from each other, wherein the first electrode is the furthest electrode of the first plurality of electrodes from the second ion-optical mirror and/or wherein the second electrode is the furthest electrode of the second plurality of electrodes from the first ion-optical mirror.

17 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the time-of-flight mass spectrometer is a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the multi-turn time-of flight mass analyser comprising a first electrostatic sector comprising at least the first electrode and a second electrostatic sector comprising at least the second electrode, the second electrostatic sector being spaced apart from the first electrostatic sector at a distance defining at least the portion of the ion-flight path therebetween, wherein the first electrostatic sector comprises a first plurality of electrodes spaced apart from each other and/or the second electrostatic sector comprises a second plurality of electrodes spaced apart from each other, wherein the first electrode is the furthest electrode of the first plurality of electrodes from the second electrostatic sector and/or wherein the second electrode is the furthest electrode of the second plurality of electrodes from the first electrostatic sector.

18 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode has a shift in m/z ratio per Kelvin, wherein the second electrode has a shift in m/z ratio per Kelvin,
the assembly further comprising a connector connected to the first electrode at a first connection point and connected to the second electrode at a second connection point, wherein the connector has a shift in m/z ratio per Kelvin, the connector defining a first length between the first and second connections points at a reference temperature; wherein the first length, the positions of the first and second connection points and the material of the connector are selected to compensate for the sum of the shift in m/z ratio per Kelvin in the first and second electrodes.

19 . A multi-reflection time-of-flight mass analyser comprising:
a first ion-optical mirror comprising a first electrode, the first electrode having a shift in m/z ratio per Kelvin, a second ion-optical mirror comprising a second electrode, the second electrod

Assignees

• Thermo Fisher Scient Bremen Gmbh

Inventors

• Hock Christian
• Wagner Alexander
• Stewart Hamish
• Grinfeld Dmitry
• Giannakopulos Anastassios
• Balschun Wilko
• Makarov Alexander

Classifications

• H01J49/24

  Vacuum systems, e.g. maintaining desired pressures · CPC title

• H01J49/068

  Mounting, supporting, spacing, or insulating electrodes · CPC title

• H01J49/408

  with multiple changes of direction, e.g. by using electric or magnetic sectors, closed-loop time-of-flight · CPC title

• H01J49/405

  characterised by the reflectron, e.g. curved field, electrode shapes · CPC title

• H01J49/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title