Ion detection systems
AssigneeEl-Mul Technologies Ltd.
InventorsSemyon Shofman, Alexander Kadyshevitch
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Abstract
An ion detection system comprising an upper plate configured for propagation of ions therethrough, a lower plate comprising a converter configured for converting ions impinging thereon to secondary electrons, a secondary electron multiplication assembly configured for receiving the secondary electrons and comprising at least one or optionally a series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes, wherein in the optional series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes, each pair is spaced apart from an adjacent pair, and wherein a first electric field is created in between the oppositely facing pair of dynodes. A magnetic system is provided for generating a magnetic field.
Claims18
An ion detection system comprising:
- an upper plate configured for propagation of ions therethrough;
- a lower plate comprising a converter configured for converting ions impinging thereon to secondary electrons;
- a secondary electron multiplication assembly configured for receiving the secondary electrons and comprising:
- at least two or optionally a series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes,
- wherein in the optional series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes, each pair is spaced apart from an adjacent pair, and
- wherein a first electric field is created in between the oppositely facing pair of dynodes;
- a magnetic system for generating a magnetic field,
- wherein the first electric field and the magnetic field are positioned normally to each other and the product of the first electric field and the magnetic field facilitates the secondary electron transfer at least from one of:
- the converter to a pair of dynodes, and
- a pair of dynodes to an adjacent pair of dynodes;
- wherein a second electric field is generated at least in between one of:
- the upper plate and a dynode of a dynode pair;
- and
- the pair of dynodes to the adjacent pair of dynodes,
- the second electric field being configured for facilitating the energy needed for secondary electron multiplication;
- a scintillator configured for receiving the multiplied secondary electrons from the secondary electron multiplication assembly and converting the multiplied secondary electrons impinging thereon to photons;
- and
- a light guide for guiding the photons exiting the scintillator to a light sensor, thereby yielding an output signal indicative of the ion.
A secondary electron multiplication assembly configured for receiving secondary electrons and comprising:
- at least two or optionally a series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes,
- wherein in the optional series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes, each pair is spaced apart from an adjacent pair, and
- wherein a first electric field is created in between the oppositely facing pair of dynodes;
- wherein a second electric field is generated in between the pair of dynodes to the adjacent pair of dynodes,
- the second electric field being configured for facilitating the energy needed for secondary emission multiplication;
- wherein the secondary electron multiplication assembly is positioned within a vacuum chamber;
- wherein a total secondary electron multiplication factor ftotal of the electron multiplication assembly is determined by:
- ftotal=nf, wherein n is the number of dynode pairs, and f is the multiplication factor of a single dynode pair.
A method for ion detection, comprising:
- directing ions through an upper plate to a lower plate comprising a converter;
- converting the ions to secondary electrons by impinging on the converter;
- introducing the secondary electrons into a secondary electron multiplication assembly configured for receiving the secondary electrons and further comprising at least two or optionally a series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes, wherein in the optional series of oppositely facing pairs of dynodes, each pair is spaced apart from an adjacent pair;
- creating a first electric field in between the oppositely facing pairs of dynodes;
- generating a magnetic field;
- generating a force produced by the first electric field and the magnetic field to facilitate the secondary electron transfer at least from one of:
- the converter to a pair of dynodes, and a pair of dynodes to an adjacent pair of dynodes;
- generating a second electric field at least in between one of the upper plate and a dynode of a dynode pair;
- and the pair of dynodes to the adjacent pair of dynodes,
- the second electric field being configured for facilitating the energy needed for secondary electron multiplication;
- converting the multiplied secondary electrons from the secondary electron multiplication assembly to photons by a scintillator;
- and
- guiding the photons exiting the scintillator to a light sensor, thereby yielding an output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.