Characterization of an improved thermal ionization cavity source for mass spectrometry

A new thermal ionization source for use with a quadrupole mass spectrometer has been designed and characterized. The new source provides significant advantages over the previously reported prototype source and traditional filament-type thermal ionization sources. The operational interface between th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 1999-10, Vol.10 (10), p.1008-1015
Main Authors: Duan, Yixiang, Danen, Ray E, Yan, Xiaomei, Steiner, Robert, Cuadrado, Juan, Wayne, David, Majidi, Vahid, Olivares, José A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analytical chemistry
Chemistry
Crucibles
Diagnostic systems
Exact sciences and technology
Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy
Ionization potentials
Ions
Mass spectrometers and related techniques
Mass spectrometry
Parameter sensitivity
Physics
Quadrupoles
Spectrometric and optical methods
Stability tests
Thermodynamic properties
Vapor pressure
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Summary:A new thermal ionization source for use with a quadrupole mass spectrometer has been designed and characterized. The new source provides significant advantages over the previously reported prototype source and traditional filament-type thermal ionization sources. The operational interface between the source and the quadrupole mass spectrometer has been redesigned. A vacuum interlock, a translational stage, and an adjustable insertion probe are added to improve the source performance. With these modifications, the source is easier to operate while maximizing sample throughput. In this work, the performance of the newly developed source is examined. The ionization efficiencies are measured with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The efficiency values obtained with this system are comparable to those obtained from a large scale isotope separator. The relationships among the ionization potential, vapor pressure, and measured ionization efficiency results are discussed. The crucible lifetime has been quantitatively estimated by measuring the crucible sputtering rate. Diagnostic studies of the new source show that the crucible position is a crucial parameter for sensitivity and performance. Stability tests demonstrate that the source can be run several weeks at a fixed emission current without significant degradation.
ISSN:1044-0305
1879-1123
DOI:10.1016/S1044-0305(99)00065-3