A chemical imaging time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer is described. It consists of a liquid metal ion gun, medium energy resolution reflectron mass analyzer, liquid nitrogen cooled sample stage, preparation chamber and dual stage entry port. Unique features include compatibility with laser postionization experiments, large field of view, cryogenic sample handling capability and high incident ion beam current. Instrument performance is illustrated by the characterization of scanning electron microscopy grids, silver and functionalized polystyrene beads and the postionization of an organic overlayer on a gold substrate.
The benefits of on-site analysis of environmental pollutants are well known, with such techniques increasing sample throughput and reducing the overall cost of pollution level monitoring. This article describes a transportable time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, based upon a converging, annular TOF (CAT) arrangement. The instrument, the transportable CAT or T-CAT is battery powered and self-contained. The vacuum chamber is never vented and is kept at a very low pressure, even during analysis. Sample gases are admitted to the mass spectrometer via a membrane inlet system. Data collection and analysis are accomplished via a portable PC. The T-CAT is capable of detection limits approaching those of more conventional, nonportable design. The device shows reasonable linearity over wide concentration ranges. Initial results indicate that the T-CAT will be capable of use in a wide range of applications, particularly for environmental monitoring. This article describes the features of the T-CAT, and presents initial results from the membrane inlet/T-CAT system.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.