GB2157485A - A method of mass spectrometer analysis - Google Patents
A method of mass spectrometer analysis Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2157485A GB2157485A GB08431285A GB8431285A GB2157485A GB 2157485 A GB2157485 A GB 2157485A GB 08431285 A GB08431285 A GB 08431285A GB 8431285 A GB8431285 A GB 8431285A GB 2157485 A GB2157485 A GB 2157485A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- sputtered
- specimen
- electrons
- ofthe
- bombarding
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 38
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 10
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 39
- 238000009792 diffusion process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 230000035945 sensitivity Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 230000001965 increasing effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 238000000451 chemical ionisation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 230000007935 neutral effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 238000013019 agitation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 230000005684 electric field Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 238000010265 fast atom bombardment Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000004949 mass spectrometry Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- PEDCQBHIVMGVHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Glycerine Chemical compound OCC(O)CO PEDCQBHIVMGVHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000002708 enhancing effect Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Argon Chemical compound [Ar] XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052786 argon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000003795 desorption Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000005284 excitation Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000012634 fragment Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229930195733 hydrocarbon Natural products 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000002430 hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000002894 organic compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011368 organic material Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011819 refractory material Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000004544 sputter deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 claims description 2
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
- H01J49/02—Details
- H01J49/10—Ion sources; Ion guns
- H01J49/14—Ion sources; Ion guns using particle bombardment, e.g. ionisation chambers
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
- Other Investigation Or Analysis Of Materials By Electrical Means (AREA)
- Analysing Materials By The Use Of Radiation (AREA)
Abstract
In order to increase the sensitivity of mass spectrometer analysis, the generation of ions to be analysed is increased by ionising those particles sputtered from the specimen in an uncharged state. This can be done by bombarding the sputtered material in the gaseous state with electrons, which may be excited secondary electrons, produced for example by bombardment of the specimen with neutral particles, or chemical ionisation methods can be used. The sensitivity can also be increased by making a solution of the material to be analysed and increasing the diffusion rate of the material to the surface of the solution, for example by ultrasonic agitation or electric fields.
Description
SPECIFICATION
A method of mass spectrometer analysis
The analysis of material by mass spectrometry depends on the production of free ionic species ofthe material under examination. Various methods have been developed to ionize specimens such as electron bombardment of evaporated material, chemical ionization and field desorption. Classes of materials exist which are difficultto analyse by these techniques such as refractories and thermally labile materials including many organic compounds.
Many of such difficult materials have been analysed using a FAB (fast atom bombardment) source (seeM.
Barber, R. S. Bordoli, R. D. Sedgwick & A. N. Tyler, J.
Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 325(1981), and D. J.
Surman,J. C. Vickerman Ibid 324(1981)), in which a suitably prepared specimen is bombarded with fast atoms e.g., of argon orxenon.
Sputtered molecules and fragments may be found to be positively or negatively charged and, therefore, capable of being detected and mass analysed. The method is often successful with polar compounds but structurally informative ions have not been obtained with non polar hydrocarbons (seeD. H. Williams, C.
Bradley, G. Bojesen, S. Santikarn & L. C. E. Taylor, J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 103,5700(1981).
It is proposed that the sensitivity ofthe FAB method may be improved by ionizing the sputtered material in the gaseous state. One method isto sputterthe specimen using e.g., a neutral saddle field source and
bombarding the sputtered material with electrons.
Another method is to apply a RFfield to the specimen
probe to excite secondary electrons produced during neutral bombardment. The unexcited secondary electrons have energies generally in the range 0-5eV, which are insufficientto cause any appreciable ionization on coliision with the sputtered material.
Excitation ofthe electrons by RFwill supply sufficient energyfor electrons to ionize the sputtered material.
Of course, combinations ofvarious ionizing methods may be used such as chemical ionization. By introducing a suitable reactive gas in the FAB source with or without an inert gas, chemical ionization is promoted, i.e., by proton exchange.
The sensitivity can also be increased by increasing the rate of diffusion ofthe material to the surface where it will be sputtered. For example, to analyse many ofthe organic materials it has been found necessaryto disscolve them in a suitable liquid such as glycerol. The material to be analysed diffuses to the surface, is sputtered and replaced by fresh material from the interior. The sensitivity reaches a limit when the sputtering rate equals the rate of surface replenishment by diffusion. The sensitivity may been hanced therefore by increasing the diffusion rate for example by ultrasonic agitation ofthe specimen or by applying an electronicfield across the specimen.
1. A method of mass spectroscopy comprising bombarding a specimen with pa rticles to produce sputtered material, ionising the sputtered material in the gaseous state and analysing the ions.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising ionising the sputtered material by bombarding with electrons.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said electrons are secondary electrons excited by the application of an RFfield.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the secondary electrons are produced by bombarding the specimen with neutral particles.
5. A method as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4 comprising ionising by chemical methods.
6. A method of mass spectroscopy comprising dissolving material to be analysed in a solvent, bombarding the solution with particles to produce ions, analysing the ions, and enhancing the rate of diffusion of the material to the surface of the solution.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising enhancing the diffusion rate by ultrasonic agitation.
8. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising enhancing the diffusion rate by applying an electric field across the solution.
9. A method of mass spectroscopy as claimed in claim 1 or claim 6 substantially as herein described.
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.
Claims (9)
1. A method of mass spectroscopy comprising bombarding a specimen with pa rticles to produce sputtered material, ionising the sputtered material in the gaseous state and analysing the ions.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising ionising the sputtered material by bombarding with electrons.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said electrons are secondary electrons excited by the application of an RFfield.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the secondary electrons are produced by bombarding the specimen with neutral particles.
5. A method as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4 comprising ionising by chemical methods.
6. A method of mass spectroscopy comprising dissolving material to be analysed in a solvent, bombarding the solution with particles to produce ions, analysing the ions, and enhancing the rate of diffusion of the material to the surface of the solution.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising enhancing the diffusion rate by ultrasonic agitation.
8. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising enhancing the diffusion rate by applying an electric field across the solution.
9. A method of mass spectroscopy as claimed in claim 1 or claim 6 substantially as herein described.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB848408043A GB8408043D0 (en) | 1984-03-28 | 1984-03-28 | Mass spectrometer analysis |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8431285D0 GB8431285D0 (en) | 1985-01-23 |
| GB2157485A true GB2157485A (en) | 1985-10-23 |
Family
ID=10558820
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB848408043A Pending GB8408043D0 (en) | 1984-03-28 | 1984-03-28 | Mass spectrometer analysis |
| GB08431285A Withdrawn GB2157485A (en) | 1984-03-28 | 1984-12-12 | A method of mass spectrometer analysis |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB848408043A Pending GB8408043D0 (en) | 1984-03-28 | 1984-03-28 | Mass spectrometer analysis |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (2) | GB8408043D0 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2239985A (en) * | 1989-12-21 | 1991-07-17 | Vg Instr Group | Method and apparatus for surface analysis |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1210218A (en) * | 1967-02-08 | 1970-10-28 | Ass Elect Ind | Improvements relating to ion probe target analysis |
| US3984692A (en) * | 1972-01-04 | 1976-10-05 | Arsenault Guy P | Ionization apparatus and method for mass spectrometry |
| GB1463795A (en) * | 1974-06-28 | 1977-02-09 | Anvar | Local surface analysis |
-
1984
- 1984-03-28 GB GB848408043A patent/GB8408043D0/en active Pending
- 1984-12-12 GB GB08431285A patent/GB2157485A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1210218A (en) * | 1967-02-08 | 1970-10-28 | Ass Elect Ind | Improvements relating to ion probe target analysis |
| US3984692A (en) * | 1972-01-04 | 1976-10-05 | Arsenault Guy P | Ionization apparatus and method for mass spectrometry |
| GB1463795A (en) * | 1974-06-28 | 1977-02-09 | Anvar | Local surface analysis |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2239985A (en) * | 1989-12-21 | 1991-07-17 | Vg Instr Group | Method and apparatus for surface analysis |
| US5146088A (en) * | 1989-12-21 | 1992-09-08 | Vg Instruments Group Limited | Method and apparatus for surface analysis |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8408043D0 (en) | 1984-05-10 |
| GB8431285D0 (en) | 1985-01-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |