Miniature multipole

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a multipole ion guide is provided. The method comprises providing a metal part, cutting the metal part by wire erosion in a first step to create a plurality of multipole electrodes that each extend generally along an axial (z) direction, wherein the plurality of multipole electrodes includes a plurality of RF electrodes and one or more axial DC gradient electrodes, and cutting the metal part by wire erosion in a second step to shape each of the one or more axial DC gradient electrodes. In the first wire erosion step, a wire erosion wire is arranged to extend in a first direction, wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the axial (z) direction. In the second wire erosion step, a wire erosion wire is arranged to extend in one or more second direction(s), wherein each second direction is arranged at a non-zero angle relative to the first direction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.