Magnetic-sector optics

The ion optics of a magnetic-sector mass spectrometer cause the ion beam leaving the ion source to arrive at a collector after being separated into individual m/z values and focused. 

Orthogonal TOP optics are compared with those from magnetic-sector instmments. 

Fig. 3.19. Basic set-up of a direct imaging magnetic sector instrument. The stigmatic secondary ion optics consists of an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) and a magnet sector field.

The direct imaging magnetic sector mass analyzer (Fig. 3.19) has the unique property that all parts (lenses, electrostatic analyzer and magnetic sector field) of the secondary ion optics are stigmatic (comparable with light microscopes). This means that all points of the surface are simultaneously projected into the analyzer. 

The analyser will always be preceded by some form of collection optics, and followed by an ion detector (usually a channel electron multiplier which converts ions into electron showers). There are three types of analyser for use in SIMS spectrometers, the magnetic sector instrument, the quadrupole analyser and time-of -flight (TOF) systems. 

The performance of a magnetic sector mass spectrometer depends totally on the ability to focus ions from source to detector. To produce ideal focusing a very wide range of factors must be taken into account. Modern computer simulation techniques have now been extensively applied in this instrument and have resulted in an ion optical design closer to the ideal than ever before. This configuration provides for complete image error correction in all planes. 

Because there is so little mass bias in the mass analyzer, a discussion of ion transfer optics and collectors is not presented. The ion transfer optics of the magnetic sector mass analyzer, and the collectors used for isotope ratio measurements are critical design elements in all isotope ratio mass spectrometers and recent reviews of these items can be found in Habfast... 

Fig. 4.26. Types and shapes of ion optical elements used in magnetic sector instruments. By courtesy of Thermo Electron (Bremen) GmbH.

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