Ion supply system and method to control an ion supply system

An ion supply system, comprising:

• an ion source emitting ions into a fore vacuum chamber;
• an ion transport device having stacked electrodes arranged in the fore vacuum chamber;
• a control system supplying a oscillatory voltage to the electrodes of the ion transport device;
• and
• a vacuum chamber, arranged downstream from the ion transport device;
• wherein a vacuum gauge is arranged in the fore vacuum chamber and wherein the pressure signal of the vacuum gauge representative of a pressure measured by the vacuum gauge is supplied to the control system supplying the oscillatory voltage, and the control system adjusts an amplitude of the oscillatory voltage in accordance with a correlation between the pressure signal and the amplitude.

A method for supplying ions into a vacuum system, comprising:

• (i) creating ions in an ion source;
• (ii) emitting the ions into an ion channel of an ion transport device having stacked electrodes, which is arranged in a fore vacuum chamber;
• (iii) applying a oscillation voltage to the electrodes of the ion transport device;
• (iv) measuring with a vacuum gauge the pressure in the vacuum chamber downstream of the ion transport device;
• (v) supplying a pressure signal of the vacuum gauge representative of the measured pressure;
• and
• (vi) adjusting an amplitude of the oscillation voltage in accordance with a correlation between the pressure signal and the amplitude.

Method for supplying ions into a vacuum system, comprising the steps

• (i) creating ions in an ion source
• (ii) emitting the ions into an ion channel of an ion transport device having stacked electrodes, which is arranged in a fore vacuum chamber
• (iii) applying a oscillation voltage to the electrodes of the ion transport device, so that the ions travelling through the ion transport device are radial confined to a aperture arranged behind the ion travelling device, through which they travel into a vacuum chamber
• (iv) measuring with a vacuum gauge the pressure in the vacuum chamber downstream of the ion transport device
• (v) submitting a pressure signal of the vacuum gauge to a control unit, controlling at least the oscillation voltage applied to the electrodes of the ion transport device
• wherein the control unit is applying a oscillation voltage to the electrodes, which is correlated to the pressure measured in the vacuum chamber.

Method for supplying ions into a vacuum system, comprising the steps

• (i) creating ions in an ion source
• (ii) emitting the ions into an ion channel of an ion transport device having stacked electrodes, which is arranged in a fore vacuum chamber
• (iii) applying a oscillation voltage to the electrodes of the ion transport device, so that the ions travelling through the ion transport device are radial confined to a aperture arranged behind the ion travelling device, through which they travel into a vacuum chamber
• (iv) measuring with a vacuum gauge the pressure in the fore vacuum chamber
• (v) submitting a pressure signal of the vacuum gauge to a control unit, controlling at least the oscillation voltage applied to the electrodes of the ion transport device
• wherein the control unit is applying a oscillation voltage to the electrodes, which is correlated to the pressure measured in the vacuum chamber.