Quasi-planar multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:

• two electrostatic ion mirrors extended along a drift Z-direction and formed of parallel electrodes, wherein said ion mirrors are separated by a field-free region;
• a pulsed ion source to release ion packets into said field-free region at an angle to an X-direction which is orthogonal to the drift Z-direction, such that the ion packets are reflected between said ion mirrors and drift along the drift Z-direction;
• and
• a receiver to receive the ion packets,
• wherein said ion mirrors are positioned to provide time-of-flight focusing on said receiver and to provide spatial focusing in a Y-direction orthogonal to both the drift Z-direction and the X-direction, wherein at least one of said ion mirrors comprises a periodic feature providing modulation of electrostatic field along the drift Z-direction for the purpose of periodic spatial focusing of the ion packets in the drift Z-direction, wherein said periodic feature comprises an opening in at least one of said electrodes, and wherein said opening varies in height in the Y-direction.

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:

• two electrostatic ion mirrors extended along a drift Z-direction and formed of parallel electrodes, wherein said ion mirrors are separated by a field-free region;
• a pulsed ion source to release ion packets into said field-free region at an angle to an X-direction which is orthogonal to the drift Z-direction, such that the ion packets are reflected between said ion mirrors and drift along the drift Z-direction;
• and
• a receiver to receive the ion packets,
• wherein said ion mirrors are positioned to provide time-of-flight focusing on said receiver and to provide spatial focusing in a Y-direction orthogonal to both the drift Z-direction and the X-direction, wherein at least one of said ion mirrors comprises a periodic feature providing modulation of electrostatic field along the drift Z-direction for the purpose of periodic spatial focusing of the ion packets in the drift Z-direction, and wherein said periodic feature comprises a varying width in the X-direction of at least one of said electrodes.

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:

• two electrostatic ion mirrors extended along a drift Z-direction and formed of parallel electrodes, wherein said ion mirrors are separated by a field-free region;
• a pulsed ion source to release ion packets into said field-free region at an angle to an X-direction which is orthogonal to the drift Z-direction, such that the ion packets are reflected between said ion mirrors and drift along the drift Z-direction;
• and
• a receiver to receive the ion packets,
• wherein said ion mirrors are positioned to provide time-of-flight focusing on said receiver and to provide spatial focusing in a Y-direction orthogonal to both the drift Z-direction and the X-direction, wherein at least one of said ion mirrors comprises a periodic feature providing modulation of electrostatic field along the drift Z-direction for the purpose of periodic spatial focusing of the ion packets in the drift Z-direction, and wherein said periodic feature comprises a set of periodic lenses incorporated into at least one of said electrodes.

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:

• two planar or quasi-planar electrostatic ion mirrors, each of said ion mirrors comprising a plurality of parallel electrodes extended along a Z-direction and each of said ion mirrors forming an electrostatic field;
• a field-free region residing between said ion mirrors;
• a pulsed ion source;
• a receiver;
• and
• a periodic spatial modulation of at least one of said electrostatic fields of said ion mirrors in the Z-direction,
• wherein said pulsed ion source releases ion packets into said field-free region, wherein the ion packets travel through said field-free region along a jigsaw trajectory formed by said ion mirrors reflecting the ion packets in an X-direction and by a drift of the ion packets in the Z-direction, wherein the ion packets are received by said receiver upon conclusion of travel along the jigsaw trajectory, wherein said periodic spatial modulation Z-directionally focuses the ion packets, and wherein said periodic spatial modulation is achieved by periodic openings in at least one of said electrodes.

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:

• a first electrostatic ion mirror extended along a drift Z-direction comprising a set of parallel electrodes;
• a second electrostatic ion mirror extended along a drift Z-direction comprising a set of parallel electrodes, wherein the second electrostatic ion mirror is substantially parallel to and spaced apart in an X-direction from said first electrostatic ion mirror;
• a field-free region between the first and second ion mirrors;
• an ion source arranged to inject ion packets into said field-free region, such that the ion packets are reflected between said first and second ion mirrors;
• and
• a receiver to receive the ion packets,
• wherein said set of parallel electrodes of at least one of said first and said second electrostatic ion mirrors comprises a mask window electrode, and wherein an end potential applied to an end of the mask window electrode differs from a main potential applied to a center of the mask window electrode to form a weak Z-directional reflecting field at the end of the mask window electrode.