Anelva Corporation

Toshihiro Fujii

Yoshiro Shiokawa

Megumi Nakamura

Tohru Sasaki

Yoshiki Hirano

Masao Takayanagi

Munetaka Nakata

An apparatus for ion attachment mass spectrometry provided with an ion emitter for emitting positively charged metal ions, an ionization chamber for causing attachment of the metal ions to a gas to be detected, a third component gas introduction mechanism for introducing a third component gas into the ionization chamber, and a mass spectrometer for mass separation and detection of the detected gas with the metal ions attached. The third component gas introduction mechanism is provided with three types of third component gases and selectively introduces one type of third component gas from the three types of third component gases. Due to this, the occurrence of interference peaks due to macromers of third component gases with each other, macromers of third component gases and high concentration ingredients, etc. is prevented and accurate mass analysis made possible.

Method and apparatus for ion attachment mass spectrometry

An ionization apparatus according to the present invention has a mechanism for causing metal ions emitted from an ion emitter to attach to an introduced target gas so as to generate ions of the sample gas and emits the ions of the sample gas to a mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer has a zone in which one or both of an electric field and magnetic field are formed. As the electrode for causing the generation of cleaning plasma in the ionization zone generating the ions of the sample gas, the ion emitter is used. The ion emitter causes the generation of plasma in connection with a hollow vessel and removes deposits on components facing the ionization zone by the plasma. The plasma cleaning process is performed consecutively at a suitable timing after the ionization process. Due to the above configuration, deteriorated performance in ionization can be restored in a short time, a memory effect can be prevented, and accurate mass spectrometry becomes possible. The ionization apparatus of the present invention is suitable for a mass spectrometry apparatus.

Ionization apparatus

An apparatus for ion attachment mass spectrometry provided with a reaction chamber for causing positively charged metal ions to attach to a gas to be detected; a mass spectrometer for mass separation and detection of the detection gas; an analysis chamber in which the mass spectrometer is placed; differential evacuation chambers for connecting the reaction chamber and analysis chamber; a data processor for receiving and processing the mass signal from the mass spectrometer; and vacuum gauges for measuring the total pressure of the reduced pressure atmosphere of the reduced pressure atmosphere reaction chamber, a differential evacuation chamber, and an analysis chamber. The total pressure signal from the vacuum gauge measured during the measurement is input to one of the data processor, introduction mechanism, and evacuation mechanism. The data processor has a processing means for performing quantitative analysis of each component utilizing the fact that sensitivity of each component has dependency on the total pressure of the reduced pressure atmosphere and that the dependency on total pressure differs for each component.

An ion attachment mass spectrometry apparatus provided with a first chamber and a second chamber separated by a partition having an aperture (nozzle), an emitter, a mass spectrometer, a vacuum pump, and a sample gas introduction mechanism for introducing a sample gas and making metal ions attach to sample gas molecules to make the sample gas positive ions. Further, the Knudsen number of the aperture is made not more than 0.01, the pressure of the second chamber is not more than {fraction (1/10)}th of the first chamber, gas of the sample gas in the first chamber is blown out from the aperture to the second chamber, and a supersonic jet formed in the second chamber is provided. Sample gas and metal ions are injected into the supersonic jet region and metal ions are made to attach to the sample gas molecules.

Ion attachment mass spectrometry apparatus, ionization apparatus, and ionization method

A mass spectrometry apparatus is provided with a mass spectrometry mechanism for analyzing the mass of ionized detected gas. The mass spectrometry apparatus is further provided with two ion sources, that is, a first ion source for attaching positive charge metal ions to cause ionization, and a second ion source for causing electrons to impact to cause ionization. Based on the configuration, it becomes possible to simultaneously or separately measure the molecular weight and analyze the molecular structure of the detected gas with a high sensitivity. The second ion source is positioned between the first ion source and the mass spectrometry mechanism and the detected gas is introduced into the first ion source. According to the above mass spectrometry apparatus, it is possible to measure the accurate molecular weight of the detected gas with a sufficient sensitivity and to simultaneously analyze the molecular structure with a sufficient sensitivity.

Mass spectrometry apparatus

Metal ions are attached to a sample gas in an ionization chamber to produce ions of the sample gas. The ions of the sample gas pass through a mass spectrometer formed by an electromagnetic field for separation by mass. The mass separated ions of the sample gas are detected and measured by a detector as an ion current. Further, a metal ion emitter for emitting metal ions is arranged at the upstream side of a region controlled to a reduced pressure atmosphere where the flow of gas becomes viscous, a sample gas inflow part for introducing the sample gas to the downstream side where the metal ions are transported, and the sample gas ionized by attachment of the metal ions passes through the opening of the aperture plate and transported to the mass spectrometer. A second gas inflow part is arranged at the upstream side of the metal ion producing region. A second gas supplied by the second inflow part flows through the metal ion producing region and sample gas ionization region. Due to this configuration, it is possible to suppress contact of the sample gas with the metal ion emitter, prevent contamination of the metal ion emitter, and perform mass spectrometry stably over a long term.

Ionization method for mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry apparatus

An ionization apparatus and ionization method, wherein an ion trap type structural unit is used as the ion source and an ion emitter for emitting metal ions is provided inside or outside the ion source, metal ions are attached to ingredients of a sample gas to ionize the sample gas, a separation parameter is changed to separate ions relating to a target substance for analysis and the metal ions, the metal ions are trapped and accumulated inside the ion source, and the ions relating to a target substance are ejected to a mass spectrometry unit. Due to this configuration, in ion mass spectrometry, it is possible to accurately separate the ions desired to be analyzed and the ions desired to be trapped by a simple configuration and relatively low resolution and possible to improve the sensitivity of analysis.

Ionization apparatus and ionization method for mass spectrometry

A mass spectrometry apparatus is provided with an emitter for emitting metal ions, a reaction chamber where the detected gas is introduced and ionized by the metal ions, an aperture for guiding molecules of the ionized detected gas, and a mass spectrometer for measuring the guided molecules. The metal ions emitted from the emitter are caused to fly to the reaction chamber to ionize said detected gas. The detected gas is a halide compound. Further provision is made of a sample gas source for feeding a halide compound to the reaction chamber and an N gas source for feeding to the reaction chamber a gas (N etc.) to which the metal ions attach less easily than to the halide compound. It is therefore made possible to apply cation attachment of the Fujii system to mass spectrometry of a halide compound and enable precise measurement of fluoride compounds etc. having a large impact on global warming.

Halide compound mass spectrometry method and mass spectrometry apparatus

An ion source of an ion attachment mass spectrometry apparatus has an emitter and a voltage-impressed portion for impressing a bias voltage to the emitter. In the ion source, the emitter is heated to emit positive charge metal ions that are attached to a detected gas to ionize it. By changing the material of the emitter, the electrical resistance between the ion emission point of the emitter and the reference-voltage-impressed portion of the voltage-impressed portion is reduced. By shortening the distance between the reference-voltage-impressed portion and the ion emission point, the electrical resistance between the ion emission point of the emitter and the reference-voltage-impressed portion of the voltage-impressed portion is reduced to not more than 10 &OHgr;. It is also possible to form a thin film emitter on the surface of the reference-voltage-impressed portion. Due to this, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of fluctuations in the potential difference between the ion emitter and the reference-voltage-impressed portion, stabilize the amount of ion emission, and analyze the mass with a high accuracy.

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Hamura, Japan

Toshihiro Fujii