Metastable atom bombardment source
US6661178B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 9, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2021 |
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. By selecting the energy of the metastable state, selective fragmentation of molecules, particularly large molecular weight molecules, can be carried out.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.