Ion analyzer

Abstract

A microchannel plate (MCP) 41 in an ion detection section 4 multiplies electrons. An anode 42 detects those electrons and produces a current signal. An amplifier 44 converts this signal into a voltage signal. A low-pass filter 5A acting as a smoothing section 5 is located at the output end of the amplifier 44. A waveform-shaping time adjuster 6 adjusts the time constant of the low-pass filter 5A beforehand according to the response time of the MCP 41, mass-to-charge ratio of an ion species to be subjected to the measurement, and duration of the spread of the ion species which depends on device-specific parameters. A plurality of peaks which sequentially appear in the detection signal corresponding to one ion species are thereby smoothed into a single broad peak. Thus, the distinguishability between signal waves and noise components is improved.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.