# US 10,770,280 B2 · Right angle time-of-flight detector with an extended life time

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- Number: US 10,770,280 B2
- Document ID: US10770280B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/301,249
- Filed: 2015-03-31
- Published: 2017-01-26
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-31
- Assignees: Leco Corporation
- Applicants: LECO Corporation
- Inventors: Anatoly N. Verenchikov; Aleksey Vorobyev
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770280B2

## CPC

- H01J 49/406: {with multiple reflections}
- G01T 1/20: with scintillation detectors
- H01J 49/025: {Detectors specially adapted to particle spectrometers (data acquisition H01J49/0036; detectors per se G01T, e.g. G01T1/28, G01T1/29)}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00)

## Abstract

There is proposed a right angle time-of-flight detector comprising a conductive converter for emitting and accelerating secondary electrons, a magnetic field formed by at least one magnet for deflecting the secondary electrons at a right angle and a sealed photo-multiplier. The detector is expected to provide an extended resource and dynamic range and may be fit into tight assemblies, such as MR-TOF MS.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A time-of-flight detector, comprising:
a conductive converter exposed parallel to a time-front of detected ion packets and generating secondary electrons;
at least one electrode with a side window, wherein the converter is negatively floated relative to the electrode by a voltage difference between 100V and 1000V;
at least one magnet with magnetic field strength between 10 Gauss and 1000 Gauss for bending electron trajectories towards said side window;
a scintillator floated positively relative to a surface of said converter by 1 kV to 20 kV and located past said side window at 45 degrees to 180 degrees relative to said converter; and
a sealed photo-multiplier past said scintillator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, wherein said scintillator is either coated or covered by a conductive mesh for removing surface charge from a surface of said scintillator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, wherein said scintillator is optically coupled to said sealed photo-multiplier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, wherein a positioning of said at least one magnet is adjusted for spatial focusing of said secondary electrons by a curvature of said magnetic field.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, wherein said converter surface is curved or stepped for compensating time-per spatial spherical aberrations.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, wherein said converter surface is electronically tilted relative to said time-front of said ion packets by applying a potential bias at or past said side window.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, further comprising a mesh or discrete dynode electron amplifier between said converter and said scintillator.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, further comprising a microchannel plate set at an electron amplification gain under 100.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, further comprising an elongated optical coupling between said scintillator and said sealed photo-multiplier, and wherein said sealed photo-multiplier is placed on an atmospheric side of said scintillator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A multi-reflecting mass spectrometer comprising the detector of claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, further comprising a mesh-based secondary electron multiplier accepting said secondary electrons from said converter.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A detector as in claim 11, wherein the mesh-based secondary electron multiplier includes a plurality of steel mesh surfaces, wherein each steel mesh surface defines a potential difference between 200V and 500V relative to each of the other steel mesh surfaces.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A detector as in claim 1, wherein said side window includes a mesh coating.

### Claim 14

A right angle time-of-flight detector, comprising:
a single microchannel plate for converting detected ion packets into secondary electrons;
an electrostatic bender of secondary electron;
a scintillator floated positively relative to said microchannel plate by 1 kV to 20 kV and located past said microchannel plate at 45 degrees to 90 degrees; and
a sealed photo-multiplier past the scintillator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A detector as in claim 14, wherein an electromagnetic shielding associates with said sealed photo-multiplier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

A detector as in claim 14, wherein said scintillator optically connects to said sealed photo-multiplier through a light transmitter.