Drift Tubes under Subambient Pressure

Mobility measurements and technology for ion characterization under vacuum or low pressure have become a feature of IMS, largely associated with ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) applications for studies in biochemistry, biology, and 

In this ion trap/ion mobility/quadrupole/TOF-MS, the quadrupole mass filter was used to isolate a specific m/z value for coUisional activated dissociation and subsequent mass analysis of fragment ions. 

Soft-landing drift tube. A last drift tube to be mentioned in this category is that of Davila and Verbeck, who used a laser ablation source to form ions and a drift tube to select ions for deposition onto substrates for preparative and developmental research of new materials. An inert gas atmosphere (e.g., 8 torr of He) was used to thermalize ions after ablation, and a drift tube was used to isolate selected ions. A unique split-ring design of ion optics at the end of the drift region was controlled to direct ions to a detector or to a substrate for soft landing. Ions at energies below 1 eV were landed onto substrates to explore chemistry of material sciences. 

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