Patent Grant
6982428
This invention relates generally to the detection of particles and is concerned in particular with enhancements for this purpose of electron multiplier configurations.
In the context of this specification, a “particle” may be an ion or other charged particle, a neutral particle or a photon, that is capable, when having predetermined characteristics, to cause an impacted surface to generate an electron. A common application of electron multipliers, however, is the detection of specific ions, for example in mass spectrometers, and hence for convenience particles to be detected will sometimes be referred to herein as ions.
To optimise the performance of an electron multiplier, it is often desirable to have a large sensitive input area so that particles can be detected which are incident over a large area. This requirement often results in a mis-match between the desired sensitive input area and the sensitive area of the amplifying section of the electron multiplier (which can be much smaller). In this case it is desirable to include a focussing element, usually referred to as a focussing lens, between the device's input aperture and its amplifying section.
As well as enabling the detector to have a large sensitive input area, a number of additional requirements for the focussing lens will be necessary if the device is to be used for special applications such as time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). For TOF-MS applications it is critical to accurately measure the arrival time of the ions that are detected over the sensitive input area. To achieve this objective, the focussing lens, at least in a preferred form, should be such as to contribute little or no distortion to the relative measured arrival times of input ions. Expressed another way, if multiple ions arrive at the detector and are spread uniformly over the input area and are all coincident in time, the electrons (resulting from these ions) exiting the focussing lens should all impact the first dynode of the amplifying section substantially in coincidence.
The amplifying section may be a discrete dynode electron multiplier, a continuous dynode electron multiplier, a micro channel plate, a micro sphere plate, a focussed mesh detector, a magnetically focussed electron multiplier, a magnetic/electrostatic electron multiplier (also known as a cross field detector) or any other device that can be used to amplify the signal electrons.
A focussing lens typically includes an ion impact plate as the first element of the lens assembly. This ion impact plate is an integral component of most ion detectors and has the function of converting the input ions, to be detected, into electrons. The emission of low-energy secondary electrons from the impact plate, typically as a beam of electrons, is the desired response to the plate being struck by sufficiently energetic particles, and forms the principal signal to be amplified by the detector. In addition to the desired secondary electrons, the incoming signal ions may cause numerous other interactions that may generate particles within the detector. These particles include:
For time-of-flight mass spectrometry all particles resulting from these interactions within the detector (apart from secondary electron emission from the impact plate) generate unwanted artefact signals in the detector output. Such artefacts are usually seen as unwanted small peaks in the mass spectrum, which are not coincident with the primary signal associated with the incoming ion, and thus add confusion when interpreting the spectrum. It is desirable to eliminate or minimise these artefacts so that they no longer unduly interfere with the intended signal.
In short, a primary objective of the invention is therefore to spatially focus electrons resulting from the impact of the particles to be detected, sometimes referred to as the signal or signal carrying particles or signal or signal carrying electrons, without degradation of the timing information.
The present invention proposes three mechanisms for achieving the just-mentioned objective that may each be employed alone, in conjunction in the same electron deflection, or sequentially. Each mechanism takes advantage of the secondary electrons that result from the impact of energetic electrons or ions against a surface. A surface able to function in this way is hereinafter referred to as a dynode. Each mechanism involves deflection of electrons by an electrostatic field in conjunction with a magnetic field preferably generally orthogonal or nearly orthogonal to the electrostatic field, in contrast to the typical environment of most commercial electron multipliers in which deflection is by electrostatic field only.
In the combined magnetic and electrostatic field arrangements of the present invention, the low energy secondary electrons will preferably follow a near cycloidal trajectory path in such a combination of fields. The distance the electron travels along a surface (x) in this near cycloidal trajectory (and its radius of curvature) will be proportional to the electrostatic field strength(E) divided by the square of the magnetic field strength (B): x=K*E/B2. (K=a constant). Therefore, this E/B2 ratio is a convenient way of defining the system's operational parameters.
The first mechanism involves deflection of the electrons from one dynode to another in a combined field where the E/B2 ratio is decreased from the electron emitting dynode to the next target dynode. The target dynode may be the input of the amplifying section. The second mechanism involves deflection of electrons through an angle greater than 180° in a combined field with either a uniform or non-uniform E/B2 ratio. This latter technique has optimal time coherence for deflections at or near 180°, at or near 270°, or at or near 360° (and larger multiples of 90°) and has greatest magnification or focussing capability at or near 270°. The third mechanism involves deflection of electrons in a combined field with either a uniform or non-uniform E/B2 ratio along the axis of net electron migration. A magnetic field which is uniform and strictly orthogonal to the electrostatic field will result in no electron focussing in a dimension parallel to the nominal magnetic field direction. In the third mechanism, an appropriate shape of the magnetic field results in variations from a field that is strictly orthogonal to the electrostatic field which further results in focussing the electrons in a second dimension (the dimension which is generally parallel to the nominal magnetic field direction).
In a first aspect, the invention provides a particle detector employing electron multiplication, comprising:
Preferably, the E/B2 ratio is progressively decreased from the first dynode segment or impact surface to the next dynode. In one embodiment, the decrease is confined to the region from the impact surface to the first dynode segment or to the amplifying section. In another embodiment, there is alternatively or additionally a progressive decrease in the E/B2 ratio along the dynode array.
In its first aspect, the invention also provides electron focussing apparatus comprising:
Preferably, the E/B2 ratio is progressively decreased from the impact surface to the electron receiving element.
Preferably, said magnetic field is configured to also focus the electron trajectories in a direction generally orthogonal to the overall direction of said trajectories.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a particle detector employing electron multiplication, comprising:
Preferably, for optimal time coherence, the average deflection is through substantially or approximately a multiple of 90°. In an especially convenient configuration, the average deflection is through substantially 270°, which results in the greatest magnification or focussing capability for the structure.
Preferably, said dynode array is substantially coplanar. In the case of 270° deflection, the result is that the direction of particle incidence on the impact surface is substantially parallel to the plane of the dynode array, an especially convenient configuration.
The dynodes may be discrete or segments of a continuous dynode formed, for example, from resistive secondary electron emissive material.
In its second aspect, the invention further provides electron focussing apparatus comprising:
Preferably, for optimal time coherence, the deflection is through substantially a multiple of 90°. In an especially convenient configuration, the deflection is through substantially 270°, which results in the greatest magnification or focussing capability for the structure.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a particle detector employing electron multiplication, including:
A magnetic field which is uniform and strictly orthogonal to the electrostatic field will result in electron focussing in only one dimension (the dimension of net migration for the electrons). Appropriate position and shape of the magnetic pole pieces can result in variations from a strictly orthogonal magnetic field direction which can further result in focussing the electrons in a second dimension (the dimension which is parallel to the nominal magnetic field direction).
In the third aspect, the invention also provides electron focussing apparatus comprising:
The invention further extends to an electron focussing apparatus or a particle detector incorporating two or three of the three aspects of the invention. A preferred form of such apparatus or detector has all three aspects of the invention controlling the electron trajectories from the impact surface to the amplifying section.
In all aspects of the invention, the electron receiving element is preferably a dynode segment.
The invention also extends to an electron multiplier comprising a particle detector according to one or more of the first, second and third aspects of the invention.
In each aspect of the invention, the impact surface may itself be a dynode for generating electrons in response to impacting electrons. Typically, the impact surface is associated with an entrance grid.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrams, in which:
The illustrated electron multiplier 10 includes cathode means in the form of a relatively large ion impact plate 12 constituting an input dynode, designated dynode 1. Dynode 1 is disposed inwardly of an entrance grid 14 defining an input aperture. Typical input ion trajectories are indicated at 16.
A co-planar or linear array 20 of dynodes 22 extends at 90° to impact plate 12 in a direction behind and away from plate 12 relative to entrance grid 14. The plane of dynode array 20 lies slightly laterally of the adjacent edge 13 of plate 12. Dynodes 22 are designated dynodes 2, 3, 4 and 5 and are successively smaller in functional surface area. Dynodes 22 are also at a spacing from the preceding dynode that successively diminishes from dynode 2 to dynode 5. Dynode 5 is the output dynode of the focussing configuration and marks the start of the amplifying section 24 (
A rectangular plate 30 is disposed as shown as an electrode for shaping an electrostatic field between it and dynodes 1 and 2, while a pair of opposed mirror-image magnetic pole configurations 50,52 (
Progressively more positive voltages are applied between the successive dynodes 1 to 5 to ensure that electrons passing from one dynode to the next have sufficient energy to generate secondary electrons on impact. Voltages must be applied to the entrance grid 14 and field shaping electrode 30 that are more positive than the dynode 1 voltage so that they attract electrons emitted from dynode 1. The E/B2 ratio is continually decreased from the top to the bottom of the diagram, in this case by increasing the strength of magnetic field 40. This is effective, as shown by the illustrated trajectories, to progressively focus the trajectories in at least the one dimension (the x or y dimension) parallel to the page in the diagram of
Instead of increasing the magnetic field strength (B), B may be held substantially constant while the electrostatic field is reduced, or a suitable balance may be obtained that progressively reduces the E/B2 ratio from dynode 1 or 2 to dynode 5, but achieves optimum voltages at the various electrodes for optimum overall performance.
Field shaping plate 30 is extended by an attractor plate 36 that lies spaced from dynodes 2 to 5, but is closer to the array than electrode plate segment 33 and is inclined so as to converge downwardly towards the plane of the dynode array 20. The attractor plate 36 may be a separate electrode and/or at a different voltage than the field shaping plate 30.
During operation, ions enter on trajectories 16 through a uniform electrostatic field generated between the ion impact surface (dynode 1) and parallel entrance grid 14. Secondary electrons (generated from the ion impact) are deflected along trajectories 35 by the combined effect of the electrostatic and magnetic fields through an average angle of approximately 270° to dynode 2. This is effective to focus the electrons generated from any given area of impact plate 12 (dynode 1) to a smaller area at dynode 2. In some configurations the impact plate 12 may need its end to be bent up (not shown in diagram) at its right hand end (as seen in
In this example, the E/B2 ratio in the dynode 1 area is ˜109 volts/(meter-tesla2) and the E/B2 ratio is decreased by ˜20 times from the top to the bottom of the structure as shown in the diagram. Both of these are practical values. The first stage of focussing from dynode 1 to dynode 2 will reduce the beam size, ie. its cross-section, to between 20% and 25% of the input beam size. The overall beam cross-section reduction for the entire lens assembly (dynode 1 to dynode 5) will be>20:1. Analysis has shown that with the appropriate choice of design parameters this structure will contribute less than 300 picoseconds of distortion between the arrival time of coincident ions striking the impact plate and the arrival of electrons at the output dynode 5 of the focussing lens assembly.
Thus far in the discussion, reference has been made to focussing of the electron trajectories in the x and y directions, i.e. the dimensions parallel to the page in
Because the lens assembly utilises magnetic fields in the electron deflection process all other particles will be excluded. Magnetic deflection is mass sensitive and as a result ions and neutrals will experience very little or no deflection in a magnetic field designed for electrons. The only particles that will reach dynode 2 in this device are electrons that originate at the impact plate surface with low energy. Therefore the lens assembly will generate minimal artefact signals in TOF-MS applications.
In the described implementation and diagram, dynodes 2 to 5 are shown as separate electrodes: each has a conductive surface 39 that faces plate segment 33 or plate 36, and these surfaces 39 have different applied voltages. As an alternative these separate dynodes could be replaced by a single resistive dynode. In such an implementation the resistive dynode would consist of an electrically resistive surface where a voltage is applied between two opposite ends so that the voltage measured on the surface varies continually from one end to the other. The surface must also have sufficient secondary electron yield so that incident electrons generate enough secondary electrons to sustain the process through each of the required stages (electron impact followed by secondary electron emission). The inherent secondary electron emission of the surface material may be suitable for this process, or the surface may need to be coated with a more suitable material. As a practical matter it is desirable that the secondary electron yield at each impact should be greater than 1, but the device would still function with smaller secondary electron yield.
Secondary electron yield of any material is almost always a strong function of the electron impact energy, which in turn is derived from the voltage difference between the electron emission surface and the electron impact surface. Thus, the voltage applied between the two ends of the resistive dynode must be great enough so that there is sufficient voltage between electron emission and impact positions to generate secondary electrons. The distance between emission and impact positions will be determined by the combined electrostatic and magnetic field strengths.
It will be understood that all three of the aforedescribed mechanisms are used in the transition from dynode 1 to dynode 2. The focussing that occurs in the electron transitions from dynode 2 to 3, 3 to 4, and 4 to the output dynode 5 are embodiments of the first and third aspects of the invention.
All three aspects of the invention may be applied to an alternative structure in which dynodes 2 to 5 are not present but in their place, for example at the location of dynode 2, is an electron receiving element in the guise of a plate that is not strictly a dynode but is the start of the amplification section, or some kind of electron detector or transducer. By example, the input of a micro-channel plate or other electron multiplier, or a focussed mesh detector or Faraday cup, might be positioned at the location of dynode 2 in the drawings.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003900277 | Jan 2003 | AU | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20040159796 A1 | Aug 2004 | US |
