METHOD FOR MASS SPECTROMETRIC EXAMINATION OF GAS MIXTURES AND MASS SPECTROMETER THEREFOR
A method includes parallel or serial ionization of a gas mixture by activating at least two ionization devices operating using different ionization procedures, and/or by ionizing the gas mixture in a detector to which the gas mixture and ions and/or metastable particles of an ionization gas are fed. The method also includes detecting the ionized gas mixture in the detector for the mass spectrometric examination thereof. A mass spectrometer for mass spectrometric examination of gas mixtures includes an ionization unit for ionizing a gas mixture and a detector for detecting the ionized gas mixture.
1 .- 16 . (canceled)
17 . A method, comprising:
using first and second ionization devices to ionize a gas mixture, the first ionization device ionizing the gas mixture via a first ionization procedure, and the second ionization device ionizing the gas mixture via a second ionization procedure which is different from the first ionization procedure; and
detecting the ionized gas mixture to mass spectrometrically examine the gas mixture.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first and second ionization devices ionize the gas mixture in parallel.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first and second ionization devices ionize the gas mixture in series.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the gas mixture comprises particles having an atomic mass number of between 100 and 20,000.
21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the gas mixture comprises particles having an atomic mass number between 20,000 and 2,000,000.
22 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising setting an ionization energy based on the gas mixture.
23 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first ionization procedure comprises an ionization procedure selected from the group consisting of charge exchange ionization, electron impact ionization, ionization via a filament, field ionization, ionization via pulsed laser, photon ionization, UV light ionization, VUV light ionization and EUV light ionization.
24 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first ionization device comprises a plasma ionization device to ionize the gas mixture.
25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the plasma ionization device uses dielectric barrier to product a plasma.
26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the plasma ionization device produces a radiofrequency plasma.
27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the plasma ionization device produces a direct current plasma.
28 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising, prior to ionizing the gas mixture, using the plasma ionization device to produce a plasma to clean to at least one member selected from the group consisting of a detector used to detect the ionized gas mixture, a measurement chamber, and at least one of the ionization devices.
29 . The method of claim 25 , wherein cleaning comprises using a plasma gas to transform contaminants in the at least one member into the gas phase, and removing the contaminants from the at least one member.
30 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising, while cleaning the at least one member, using a further ionization procedure to transform the contaminants to the gas phase in addition to producing a plasma.
31 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising, prior to ionizing the gas mixture, using the plasma ionization device to produce a plasma to clean a measurement chamber at a pressure of between one bar and 1×10 −1 ° millibar.
32 . The method of claim 17 , wherein detecting the ionized gas mixture comprises providing the ionized gas mixture into a member selected from the consisting of a quadrupole detector and an ion trap.
33 . The method of claim 17 , wherein detecting the ionized gas mixture comprises providing the ionized gas mixture into a member selected from the group consisting of a Fourier transform ion trap, a Penning trap, a toroidal trap, a Paul trap, a linear trap, an orbitrap, an electron beam ion trap, and a RF buncher.
34 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising feeding to a detector, and then ionizing via the detector, the gas mixture and/or metastable particles produced ionization of the gas mixture by the first and/or second ionization devices.
35 . A mass spectrometer, comprising:
an ionization unit, comprising:
a first ionization device configured to ionize a gas mixture via a first ionization procedure; and
a second ionization device configured to ionize a gas mixture via a second ionization procedure different from the first ionization procedure; and
a detector configured to detect the ionized gas mixture.
36 . The mass spectrometer of claim 35 , wherein the ionization unit is configured so that, during use of the mass spectrometer, the first and second ionization devices are individually activated.
37 . The mass spectrometer, wherein the ionization unit is configured so that, during use of the mass spectrometer, the first and second ionization devices are activated together.
38 . The mass spectrometer of claim 35 , wherein the first ionization device comprises an ionization device selected from the group consisting of a charge exchange ionization device, a plasma ionization device, an electron impact ionization device, a field ionization device, a laser ionization device, a photon ionization device, a UV light ionization device, a VUV light ionization device, and EUV light ionization device.
39 . The mass spectrometer of claim 35 , wherein the first ionization device comprises a plasma ionization device selected from the group consisting of a high frequency plasma source, a medium frequency plasma source, a direct current plasma source, a dielectric barrier discharge plasma source, an atmospheric pressure plasma source, and a corona discharge plasma source.
40 . The mass spectrometer of claim 35 , further comprising an ion trap configured to accumulate the ionized gas mixture.
41 . The mass spectrometer of claim 40 , wherein the ion trap is selected from the group consisting of a Fourier transform ion trap, a Penning trap, a toroidal trap, a Paul trap, a linear trap, an orbitrap, an electron beam ion trap, and a RF buncher.
42 . The mass spectrometer of claim 35 , wherein the first ionization device is configured to provide ions and/or metastable particles of an ionization gas to the detector to ionize the gas mixture in the detector.