Ion transport between ion optical devices at different gas pressures

A mass spectrometer, comprising:

• a first ion optical device in a relatively low gas pressure region, configured to receive RF voltages from a first RF power supply for generating a first RF field that confines ions in a trapping region of the first ion optical device;
• a second ion optical device in a relatively high gas pressure region, configured to receive RF voltages from a second RF power supply for generating a second RF field that confines ions in a trapping region of the second ion optical device;
• and
• a gas conductance restriction, configured to restrict gas flow from the relatively high gas pressure region to the relatively low gas pressure region, the gas conductance restriction having an aperture to allow ions to pass from the second ion optical device to the first ion optical device;
• and
• wherein the first and second RF power supplies are independent to allow the RF voltages for generating the first RF field to have a different amplitude from the RF voltages for generating the second RF field,
• wherein each of the first and/or second ion optical device is one of:
• a multipole ion optical device;
• a stacked ring ion guide;
• an ion tunnel device;
• and an ion optical device comprising an ion carpet, and wherein the first ion optical device comprises a first ion carpet, oriented in a first plane and the second ion optical device comprises a second ion carpet, oriented in a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane.

A mass spectrometer, comprising:

• a first ion optical device in a relatively low gas pressure region, configured to receive RF voltages from a first RF power supply for generating a first RF field that confines ions in a trapping region of the first ion optical device;
• a second ion optical device in a relatively high gas pressure region, configured to receive RF voltages from a second RF power supply for generating a second RF field that confines ions in a trapping region of the second ion optical device;
• and
• a gas conductance restriction, configured to restrict gas flow from the relatively high gas pressure region to the relatively low gas pressure region, the gas conductance restriction having an aperture to allow ions to pass from the second ion optical device to the first ion optical device;
• and
• wherein the first and second RF power supplies are independent to allow the RF voltages for generating the first RF field to have a different amplitude from the RF voltages for generating the second RF field,
• wherein the first and second RF power supplies form at least part of a power supply system, the power supply system comprising:
• a core RF generator, configured to provide an RF waveform of a specific frequency;
• a first coil configuration, configured to receive the RF waveform and supply the RF voltages for generating the first RF field, the core RF generator and first coil configuration defining the first RF power supply;
• and
• a second coil configuration, configured to receive an RF signal derived from the RF waveform and supply the RF voltages for generating the second RF field, the core RF generator and second coil configuration defining the second RF power supply
• wherein the power supply system further comprises a phase adjuster, configured to receive a signal that is the RF waveform or a waveform generated from the RF waveform and provide the RF signal derived from the RF waveform to the second coil configuration, based on the received signal, by setting a phase of the RF signal to a desired level;
• and
• wherein the power supply system further comprises:
• a sampler, configured to sample one of the RF voltages for generating the first RF field from the first coil configuration and to provide the waveform generated from the RF waveform to the phase adjuster based on the sampled RF voltage.