The gated electrostatic mass spectrometer (GEMS): definition and preliminary results

GEMS is a new type of time-of-flight mass spectrometer based on an electrostatic energy analyzer. Mass resolution equals the energy analyzer kinetic energy resolution, which is set by its slit size. In GEMS, monochromatic ions enter the entrance slit at random times, and the gated ion deflection produced by the electrostatic field in the analyzer rejects ions that are inside the analyzer at gate onset, detecting those entering the analyzer after gate onset. This provides mass separation while overcoming the temporal and spatial spread problems typical of TOF applications. Paradoxically, GEMS works because all ion masses follow identical trajectories. GEMS is easily multiplied into two-dimensional arrays to increase sensitivity in space applications, requires relatively low voltages, and uses only a few electrical connections. Thus, it is easy to package GEMS as a small, low-power instrument for applications in harsh environments. A disadvantage of GEMS is that its output is the integral of the TOF spectrum and the derivative of the raw data must be taken, a procedure that is likely to add noise. A version of GEMS detecting un-deflected ions (u-GEMS) has been tested to demonstrate the time-integrated feature of the raw data but without the benefit of energy analysis. This paper describes GEMS implemented with the small deflection energy analyzer (SDEA), a compact version of the parallel plate energy analyzer. SDEA is described both analytically and with ion trajectory simulations using the ion trajectory simulation software SIMION; the results are then used to describe GEMS and compute its performance.