Mass analyzer including magnetic field control means

Claim 2

A mass analyzer comprising: a source of a sample material to be analyzed; a first ionizing means for imparting an electrical charge to particles of the sample material; a source of reference material separate from the source of sample material for aligning and calibrating the mass analyzer; second ionizing means separate from said first means for imparting an electrical charge to particles of the reference material; a magnetic analyzing sector located in the path of particles from the sample charged particle source for separating said particles according to their respective masses; total-charged-particle-monitoring means located at an entrance end of the magnetic sector; a collector located at an exit end of the magnetic sector; means located in the magnetic field created for the magnetic sector for monitoring the strength of the field therein; circuit means coupled to the monitoring means for controlling the field in the magnetic sector to bring ions of a predetermined mass into register at the collector without reference to the particles being detected at the collector; and electrical circuit comparison means coupled to the totalcharged-particle-monitoring means and the collector for comparing the portion of the charged particle beam striking the collector with the total charged-particle beam striking the monitoring means.

Claim 3

A mass analyzer according to claim 1 wherein said first ionizing means is of the vacuum breakdown type.

Claim 4

A mass analyzer according to claim 2 wherein said first ionizing means is of the radiofrequency spark type.

Claim 5

A mass analyzer according to claim 2 wherein said first ionizing means is of the high voltage pulse type.

Claim 6

A mass analyzer according to claim 2 wherein said first ionizing means is of the high current arc type.

Claim 7

The analyzer of claim 1 wherein said collector is an electron multiplier collector.

Claim 8

A double-focusing mass spectrometer comprising: a vacuum breakdown source for providing ions of a sample of a material to be analyzed: a second ion source for providing ions from a reference material; an electric analyzing sector located adjacent said sources in position to receive ions from said sources; a magnetic analyzing sector located at an exit end of the electric sector; total ion beam electrode means located between the electric sector and the magnetic sector for monitoring the ion beam entering the magnetic sector; a collector located at an exit end of the magnetic sector for monitoring the portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector; means located in the magnetic field created for the magnetic analyzing sector for monitoring the field therein; first electrical circuit means for changing the magnetic field in the magnetic sector by a discrete amount to a strength that will bring ions of a predetermined mass into register at the collector, said first circuit means being coupled to the magnetic field monitoring means; and second electrical circuit means for obtaining the integral of the portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector and the integral of the total ion beam entering the magnetic sector to provide qualitative and quantitative data regarding the sample to be analyzed.

Claim 9

A double-focusing mass spectrometer comprising: a vacuum breakdown source for providing ions of a sample of a material to be analyzed: a second ion source for providing ions from a reference material; an electric analyzing sector located adjacent said sources in position to receive ions from said sources; a magnetic analyzing sector located at an exit end of the electric sector; total ion beam electrode means located between the electric sector and the magnetic sector for monitoring the ion beam entering the magnetic sector; a collector located at an exit end of the magnetic sector for monitoring the portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector; means located in the magnetic field created for the magnetic analyzing sector for monitoring the field therein; first electrical circuit means for changing the magnetic field in the magnetic sector by a discrete amount to a strength that will bring ions of a predetermined mass into register at the collector, said first circuit means being coupled to the magnetic field monitoring means; and second electrical circuit means for obtaining the integral of the portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector and the integral of the total ion beam entering the magnetic sector to provide qualitative and quantitative data regarding the sample to be analyzed.

Claim 10

A mass spectrometer according to claim 7 wherein the means for monitoring the magnetic field is a magnetic field transducer utilizing a Hall effect device.

Claim 11

A mass spectrometer according to claim 8 including resistance means connected in series circuit relationshiP in an input circuit to the Hall effect device for linearizing the output signal from the device.

Claim 12

A mass spectrometer according to claim 7 wherein the magnetic analyzing sector includes a collector slit at the exit end thereof and shielding means comprising at least two overlapping tubes located between the collector slit and the electron multiplier collector to provide a protected pathway to the collector for ions passing through the collector slit.

Claim 13

A mass spectrometer according to claim 10 including an electrical comparison circuit for obtaining the ratio of the integral of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector with the integral of the ion beam entering the magnetic sector.

Claim 14

A mass spectrometer according to claim 11 wherein the means for monitoring the field in the magnetic analyzing sector is a Hall effect device having resistive means connected in series circuit relationship in an input circuit to said device for linearizing the output from the device.

Claim 15

A mass spectrometer according to claim 11 wherein the means for controlling the field in the magnetic analyzing sector is a magnetic field transducer utilizing a Hall effect device.

Claim 16

A mass spectrometer according to claim 11 wherein said second ion source is an electron bombardment type of source.

Claim 17

The spectrometer of claim 7 wherein the collector is an electron multiplier collector.

Claim 18

A double-focusing mass spectrometer comprising: a vacuum breakdown source for providing ions of a sample of a material to be analyzed; an electric analyzing sector located adjacent said source in position to receive ions from the source; a magnetic analyzing sector located at an exit end of the electric sector; total ion beam electrode means located between the electric sector and the magnetic sector for monitoring the ion beam entering the magnetic sector; a collector located at an exit end of the magnetic sector for monitoring a portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector, said magnetic analyzing sector including a collector slit at the exit end thereof and shielding means comprising at least two overlapping tubes located between the collector slit and the collector to provide a protected pathway to the collector for ions passing through the collector slit; means located in the magnetic field created for the magnetic analyzing sector for monitoring the field therein; first electrical circuit means for changing the magnetic field in the magnetic sector by a discrete amount to a strength that will bring ions of a predetermined mass into register into the collector, said first circuit means being coupled to the magnetic field monitoring means; and second electrical circuit means for obtaining the integral of the portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector and the integral of the total ion beam entering the magnetic sector to provide qualitative and quantitative data regarding the sample to be analyzed.

Claim 19

A double-focusing mass spectrometer comprising: a vacuum breakdown source for providing ions of a sample of a material to be analyzed; an electric analyzing sector located adjacent said source in position to receive ions from the source; a magnetic analyzing sector located at an exit end of the electric sector; total ion beam electrode means located between the electric sector and the magnetic sector for monitoring the ion beam entering the magnetic sector; a collector located at an exit end of the magnetic sector for monitoring a portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector, said magnetic analyzing sector including a collector slit at the exit end thereof and shielding means comprising at least two overlapping tubes located between the collector slit and the collector to provide a protected pathway to the collector for ions passing through the collector slit; means located in the magnetic field created for the magnetic analyzing sector for monitoring the field therein; first electrical circuit means for changing the magnetic field in the magnetic sector by a discrete amount to a strength that will bring ions of a predetermined mass into register into the collector, said first circuit means being coupled to the magnetic field monitoring means; and second electrical circuit means for obtaining the integral of the portion of the ion beam emerging from the magnetic sector and the integral of the total ion beam entering the magnetic sector to provide qualitative and quantitative data regarding the sample to be analyzed.

Claim 20

The spectrometer of claim 16 wherein said collector is an electron multiplier collector.