Metastable atom bombardment source
US6124675A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 26, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J27/04
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The metastable atom bombardment source provides a charged particle free beam of metastable species that can be used to bombard and ionize organic and inorganic substances in a gas phase. The metastable atoms are produced by inducing a discharge in a gas (rare gases or small molecules). The discharge is curved between the cathode and anode, with the cathode located in a medium pressure zone and the anode located off-axis in a low pressure zone; A nozzle located between the cathode and the anode provides a collimated beam of metastable atoms of low kinetic energy that is directed at an ion volume containing the substances to be analyzed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.