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Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Miniaturization and geometry optimization of a polymer-based rectilinear ion trap
Miriam Fico1, Meng Yu, Zheng Ouyang
1Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
Analytical Chemistry
|October 5, 2007
Summary
Stereolithography (SLA) fabrication enables cost-effective, precise polymer rectilinear ion traps. This method produces smaller, lighter mass analyzers with performance comparable to traditional devices, offering unit mass resolution and tandem mass spectrometry capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Instrumentation Engineering
Background:
- Traditional rectilinear ion traps are often fabricated using complex machining processes.
- Developing cost-effective and versatile fabrication methods for ion trap mass analyzers is crucial for wider adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore stereolithography (SLA) as a novel fabrication technique for polymer-based rectilinear ion trap mass analyzers.
- To characterize the performance of SLA-fabricated ion traps, including resolution, mass range, and MS/MS capabilities.
- To assess the feasibility of creating miniaturized and cost-effective ion trap devices.
Main Methods:
- Utilized stereolithography (SLA) with a custom resin (Nanoform 15120) to fabricate open-corner, polymer-based ion traps.
- Mounted the ion traps in a polymer holder within a custom vacuum system, using modified LCQ Duo electronics.
- Evaluated performance using electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), examining resolution, mass/charge range, and MS/MS functionality.
- Fabricated and tested three traps of varying sizes, including scaled-down versions.
Main Results:
- SLA enabled the fabrication of precise, arbitrary geometries for polymer ion traps.
- The custom resin provided high heat deflection temperature, structural stability, and low capacitance.
- Tested ion traps demonstrated comparable performance to traditional machined devices, including unit mass resolution to mass 300 and MS/MS capabilities.
- Smaller traps exhibited low power consumption and were easily fabricated.
Conclusions:
- Stereolithography (SLA) is a viable and advantageous method for fabricating polymer-based rectilinear ion traps.
- SLA allows for the creation of lightweight, inexpensive, and miniaturized ion traps without compromising performance.
- This technique opens possibilities for more accessible and versatile mass spectrometry instrumentation.
