Yu. I. Khasin, A. N. Verenchikov, M. A. Gavrik, M. I. Yavor
Institute for Analytical Instrumentation RAS, Saint-Petersburg
The paper describes an experimental
model of a new time-of-flight mass spectrometer suitable for operation
in the millisecond time-of-flight range. The ion-optical system of the
analyzer is based on plane gridless electrostatic mirrors. To confine an
ion beam in the drift direction, a system of five electrostatic lenses
is used. The energy focusing range for the analyzer mirror system was determined
experimentally and the results appeared to be well correlated with the
calculated data. In the course of the analyzer tests, we defined the mirror
operating modes at various ion energies, and characterized resolution and
transmission as a function of ion energy. The mass spectra taken in the
10 to 100 eV ion energy range show the traces of ions of alkali metals
contained in cesium aluminate at levels below 2*10**(-5) of the cesium
ion intensity. The investigations helped to establish specific features
of the new analyzer tuning and ion stability limits with respect to external
magnetic fields and voltage ripple of power supplies.