High resolution charged particle-energy detecting, multiple sequential stage, compact, small diameter, retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system, and method of use

A retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system which enables charged particle-energy detection comprising:

• a. a concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element having a tubular wall with an inner surface, and first and second ends;
• b. a concentric central-most essentially tubular shaped element having a tubular wall with an outer surface and first and second ends, with openings which provide access past said tubular wall being present near both said first and second ends thereof, said central-most essentially tubular shaped element being present within said concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element such that an annular space is formed between the inner surface of the tubular wall of said outer essentially tubular shaped element and the outer surface of the tubular wall of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element;
• c. means for applying electrical potential selected from the group consisting of:
• ground,
• positive, and
• negative,
• to said concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element, and
• means for applying electrical potential separately selected from the group consisting of:
• ground,
• positive, and
• negative,
• to said central-most essentially tubular shaped element such that an electric field can be caused to exist in said annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements;
• such that a charged particle caused to enter said annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements at a first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said cylindrical mirror analyzer, has its trajectory locus determined by an electric field caused to be present therein by application of a voltage between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements, and can exit from said cylindrical mirror analyzer annular space at the second end of said center-most essentially tubular shaped element in said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer only if said charged particle has an energy within a detection range of acceptance energies, and approached said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer at an angle within a range of acceptance angles so as to pass through said opening which provides access past the tubular wall at said first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer, said energy detection range being at least partially determined by said electrical potential applied to each of said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements in said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer;
• said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer further comprising a manipulator at said second end of said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer for use in manipulation of the retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system into a position wherein charged particles can enter to said first end thereof.

A method of detecting charged particles of specific energies comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a compact, high resolution charged particle-energy detecting, multiple sequential stage, retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system which enables charged particle-energy detection with an improved resolution compared to resolution provided by a single stage cylindrical mirror analyzer, wherein each of said multiple sequential stages is a cylindrical mirror analyzer comprising:
• 1. a concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element having a tubular wall with an inner surface, and first and second ends;
• 2. a concentric central-most essentially tubular shaped element having a tubular wall with an outer surface and first and second ends, with openings which provide access past said tubular wall being present near both said first and second ends thereof, said central-most essentially tubular shaped element being present within said concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element such that an annular space is formed between the inner surface of the tubular wall of said outer essentially tubular shaped element and the outer surface of the tubular wall of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element;
• 3. means for applying electrical potential to said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements such that an electric field can be caused to exist in said annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements;
• a second end of a first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer being secured to a first end of a second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer;
• said concentric central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer being electrically separate from said concentric central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer;
• such that a charged particle caused to enter said annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements at a first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer, has its trajectory locus determined by an electric field caused to be present therein by application of a first voltage between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements, and can exit from said first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer annular space at the second end of said center-most essentially tubular shaped element in said first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer;
• said charged particle then being caused to enter an annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements at a first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer, wherein its trajectory locus is determined by an electric field caused to be present therein by application of a second voltage between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements, and can exit from said second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer annular space at the second end of said second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer;
• said charged particle exiting from said second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer annular space at the second end of said second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer only if said charged particle has an energy within a detection range of acceptance energies, and approached said first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer at an angle within a range of acceptance angles so as to pass through said opening which provides access past the tubular wall at said first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said first sequential cylindrical mirror analyzer, said energy detection range being at least partially determined by said electrical potential applied to each of said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements in each said first and second sequential cylindrical mirror analyzers;
• a last sequential stare of said multiple sequential stages further comprising a manipulator for manipulation of the compact, small diameter, high energy detection resolution, multiple sequential stage, retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system into a position wherein charred particles can enter to said first sequential stage thereof;
• b. by manipulation of said manipulator, causing said first end of said first sequential stage cylindrical mirror analyzer to be positioned near charged particles;
• c. causing electric fields to exist in the annular space of each present cylindrical mirror analyzer stage;
• such that charged particles of desired specific energies enter said first stage cylindrical mirror analyzer of the compact, high energy detection resolution, multiple sequential stage, retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system, progress through all stages thereof and exit the last stage thereof, and enter a detector.

A method of detecting charged particles of specific energies comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system which enables charged particle-energy detection, comprising:
• 1. a concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element having a tubular wall with an inner surface, and first and second ends;
• 2. a concentric central-most essentially tubular shaped element having a tubular wall with an outer surface and first and second ends, with openings which provide access past said tubular wall being present near both said first and second ends thereof, said central-most essentially tubular shaped element being present within said concentric outer essentially tubular shaped element such that an annular space is formed between the inner surface of the tubular wall of said outer essentially tubular shaped element and the outer surface of the tubular wall of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element;
• 3. means for applying electrical potential to each of said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements such that an electric field can be caused to exist in said annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements;
• such that a charged particle caused to enter said annular space between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements at a first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said cylindrical mirror analyzer, has its trajectory locus determined by an electric field caused to be present therein by application of a voltage between said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements, and can exit from said cylindrical mirror analyzer annular space at the second end of said center-most essentially tubular shaped element in said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer only if said charged particle has an energy within a detection range of acceptance energies, and approached said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer at an angle within a range of acceptance angles so as to pass through said opening which provides access past the tubular wall at said first end of said central-most essentially tubular shaped element of said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer, said energy detection range being at least partially determined by said electrical potential applied to each of said concentric outer and central-most essentially tubular shaped elements in said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer;
• said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer further comprising a manipulator at said second end of said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer for use in manipulation of the retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system into a position wherein charged particles can enter to said first end thereof;
• b. by manipulation of said manipulator, causing said first end of retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer to be positioned near charged particles;
• c. causing an electric field to exist in said annular space;
• such that charged particles of specific energies enter said retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer, progress therethrough and exit therefrom and enter a detector.

A retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system for use in analyzing the energy spectra of charged particles emitted from a charged particle source comprising:

• a. an essentially cylindrically shaped housing having first and second ends, said essentially cylindrically shaped housing having an essentially conically shaped end cap with an aperture essentially centrally located therein at the first end thereof;
• b. an outer essentially cylindrically shaped element concentrically positioned in said essentially cylindrically shaped housing;
• c. an inner essentially cylindrically shaped element concentrically contained within said outer essentially cylindrically shaped element and having an opening exposed through the essentially centrally located aperture in said essentially conically shaped endcap at said first end of said essentially cylindrically shaped housing, said opening being positioned for receiving charged particles via said essentially centrally located aperture, said inner essentially cylindrically shaped element further having an exit opening through which charged particles may pass near the second end of said essentially cylindrically shaped housing;
• d. a manipulator at the second end of said essentially cylindrically shaped housing, for use in manipulating the retractable cylindrical mirror analyzer system into an analysis position;
• and
• e. means for applying electrical potential or ground to said inner essentially cylindrically shaped element.