Patent Description:
Ion funnels are typically constructed from a stack of plate electrodes (typically <NUM>-<NUM>) with decreasing apertures. RF potentials of opposite polarity are applied on adjacent electrodes to create an effective potential- sometimes referred to as a pseudopotential- that radially confines the ions passing through the ion funnel. As successive electrodes have decreasing apertures, the net result is that a spatially dispersed ion cloud entering the ion funnel is efficiently focused to a much smaller radial size on exiting the ion funnel.

Each of the individual plate electrodes needs to be supplied with individual DC with alternating RF voltages superimposed. The result is there is a complicated kit of parts which need to be assembled with precision in a particular order. Ion funnels can also benefit from a fine pitch of electrodes - something which can be difficult to achieve with conventional ion optics. It will be appreciated that this may require a separate distribution circuit board, typically printed circuit board (PCB), which develops the necessary voltages. The electrode set either has to be connected via a complex wiring network or integrated to the PCB and soldered directly. The physical size of the sockets or solder pads ultimately limits electrode pitch and this can affect the practical application of these type of devices.

Recently there have been developments in the design of ion funnels including the use of printed circuit boards (PCBs). <NPL>) discuss the construction of a funnel by bringing together a set of four wedge shaped PCBs to produce a square pyramidal analogue of an ion funnel with the electrodes replaced with tracks. This ultimately defines an asymmetric arrangement which can be complex to assemble whilst ensuring that the functionality of the ion funnel is achieved. Whilst this evidently benefits from use of PCB technology in providing the electrodes the fabricated funnel bridges two chambers and its solid construction means that gas cannot escape radially (as is typical of stacked plate ion funnels). This increase the gas load downstream chambers and has the potential for gas flow at the exit to interfere with ion motion in the region of the exit. Furthermore, as the device is constructed in two halves by soldering a daughter board and then bringing halves together before fixing with adhesive, there is a requirement for a skilled operator- it is very much a manual operation and therefore whilst theoretically advantageous it would appear that it is incompatible at least in part with high volume PCB fabrication techniques. The design also suffers in that it introduces a gap in the tracks where the two halves meet which has the potential for ion loss unless gaps are similar to the track spacing further increasing the dependence on precision/tolerancing in construction.

<CIT> describes a method and apparatus for focusing dispersed charged particles. More specifically, a series of elements, each having successively larger apertures forming an ion funnel, wherein RF voltages are applied to the elements so that the RF voltage on any element has phase, amplitude and frequency necessary to define a confinement zone for charged particles of appropriate charge and mass in the interior of the ion funnel, wherein the confinement zone has an acceptance region and an emmitance region and where the acceptance region area is larger than the emmitance region area.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a ion funnel that can address these and other constraints of conventional ion funnels.

Accordingly there is provided an ion funnel as detailed in claim <NUM>. Advantageous features are in the dependent claims.

These and other aspects and features will be better understood with reference to the drawings that now follow.

<FIG> shows two examples of an ion funnel <NUM> comprising a plurality of faces <NUM> in accordance with the present teaching. In the example of <FIG>, the ion funnel is formed from three faces, whereas in <FIG>, the ion funnel is formed from five faces. In each example, the individual faces are each formed from a printed circuit board and arranged relative to one another such that the ion funnel has a pyramidal structure having a base <NUM> and an apex <NUM>. These exemplary arrangements are fabricated from printed circuit boards, PCBs, that each have a truncated triangular geometrical form. It will be appreciated that this geometry is particularly advantageous in that it facilitates a stacking of the faces edge to edge to form the pyramidal structure defining the ion funnel.

An entrance 110A to the ion funnel is defined at the base <NUM> of the ion funnel <NUM> and an exit 120A from the ion funnel is defined at the apex <NUM> of the pyramidal structure. It will be appreciated that as the exit 120A is formed from an aperture defined at the apex that the pyramidal structure is effectively a truncated pyramid as the individual triangular faces <NUM> do not meet physically to form an actual point. The funnel is configured to define an ion path within the internal volume of the pyramidal between the entrance 110A and the exit 120A. The ion path extends from the entrance 110A to the exit 120A. A spatially dispersed ion cloud entering the ion funnel at the entrance 110A travelling along the ion path is efficiently focused to a much smaller radial size on exiting the ion funnel's exit 120A.

This focusing is effected by the provision of a plurality of separate and distinct electrode tracks <NUM> defined on each of the respective inner surfaces <NUM> of the plurality of triangular faces. The plurality of electrode tracks <NUM> are arranged substantially transverse to the ion path and extending from the base to the apex. Similarly to the operation of known ion funnels, adjacent electrode tracks are operatively coupled to both RF and DC voltages to effect RF ion confinement to focus and direct an ion beam towards the exit of the funnel. As is visualised in <FIG>, this is effected by the generation of an RF pseudo potential <NUM> in the region proximate to the individual tracks <NUM>.

As is evident from <FIG> but also in the simulation results of <FIG>, the plurality of triangular faces <NUM> are arranged edge to edge with one another to define the enclosed inner volume <NUM> within which the ion beam <NUM> will operatively travel. Whilst they are separate and distinct, the plurality of triangular faces are preferably arranged relative to one another such that each of the electrode tracks on a first triangular face has a corresponding electrode track on a second triangular face.

As is visible in each of <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the plurality of electrode tracks <NUM> on each face are desirably separate and distinct from the plurality of electrode tracks on the other faces. Each track <NUM> extends across the inner surface of its respective triangular surface from a first edge region <NUM> to a second edge region <NUM>. The edge region may not actually be at the side <NUM> of the face. Each of the electrode tracks are optimally substantially parallel with one another and extend substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the ion beam from the entrance to the exit of the funnel. The electrode tracks can be fabricated using conventional PCB manufacturing techniques.

In addition to the electrode tracks, each of the triangular faces preferably has a plurality of slots <NUM> defined in, and extending through, the substrate defined by the printed circuit board. The slots <NUM> are provided between adjacent tracks <NUM>, and operatively provide an outlet through which a gas may vent through the faces of the funnel. By providing the slots <NUM> cut between the tracks, which may be effected using for example in this instance using the standard PCB fabrication techniques. This allows the funnel to vent gas radially which is an advantage over prior art funnels which do not have this capacity with the result that there is an increased gas load on the downstream side of the ion beam. It will be appreciated however that it may be however beneficial in some circumstances to not include these perforations in order to maximise track density by increasing the maximum tolerable space charge.

As is visible in <FIG> and <FIG> the funnel further comprises a plurality of guard rails <NUM> provided at the edges <NUM> of the triangular faces. Desirably each of the faces have edges that are proximal to, but not fixed to or against, edges of a neighbouring face. The guard rails <NUM> are configured to operatively bias ions <NUM> away from the edges of the triangular faces, evident from the schematic of <FIG>. The guard rails extending from the base to the apex of the pyramidal structure. The guard rails are desirably provided at a higher DC voltage than the electrode tracks. It will be appreciated that ion funnels produced with planar walls tend to concentrate ions up into their corners. This is a natural consequence of the isotropic nature of ion diffusion in the plane perpendicular to device axis and the non-isotropic closing in of the funnel 'walls' as it is traversed. The present inventor has identified that the junctions in PCB ion funnels are therefore critical regions. By placing a set of guard rails or tracks at an elevated DC potential, ions near the edge of the board can be prevented from reaching the corners of the device- the corners being the region between two adjacent triangular faces. This reduces the criticality of the construction of the junctions between PCBs. <FIG> show the effect in simulation in having the guard rails off (<FIG>) and having the guard rails on (<FIG>). simulation results demonstrate that having the guard rails on increases the transmission of ions through the funnel from <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, without requiring individual ones of the triangular faces being brought into contact. In the example of <FIG>, the simulation was effected with the gap between adjacent triangular faces being twice the separation between the electrode tracks on each face. It will be appreciated that this demonstrates that a funnel can be fabricated without the need to bond or otherwise join the individual PCB boards that form the triangular faces. Without the need to solder the boards together they can individually be produced with the normal mass production techniques (e.g. solder re-flow). The guard rails are DC biased and may also in certain configurations be also coupled to an RF source.

As is shown in <FIG> and <FIG> the funnel may further comprise bias rails <NUM> colocated with fixtures such as screw heads provided within the funnel. The bias rails <NUM> are provided at an elevated DC voltage to the electrode tracks and operatively biasing ions away from the fixtures by generating a DC bias potential <NUM>. Ions within the ion flux <NUM> passing through the funnel are operatively biased away from each of the tracks <NUM> and the bias rails <NUM> so as to adopt a path that is generally about a main axis of the pyramidal structure.

Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous in that it facilitates use of an ion funnel per the present teaching with other external hardware. The use of these bias rails with elevated DC can be used to discourage the ions away from fixtures (such as the mentioned screws). This means fixtures can be even be placed within the ion funnel volume. In the absence of these DC bias rails these fixtures would either charge up uncontrollably pinching off ion transmission or - if grounded - extract ions from the funnel reducing signal. <FIG> shows simulated ion trajectories showing a fixture <NUM> biased even as high as the inlet potential prevents ion loss on an internal fixture. It should be noted that this is a cut though which only shows loses in a narrow band for clarity - ions would be pulled in from all directions. The potential should be at a level higher than a potential of local electrodes but there is a significant range of tuning available. This could be fixed by direct connection to another electrical component of fixture. Certain configurations could provide these as tuneable potentials to facilitate changes dependent on location of the fixture and/or the type of mass spectra being analysed. <FIG>) shows how a grounded fixture would attract and ultimately discharge ions and therefore presents an alternative exit away from the desired route through the funnel. <FIG>) shows ion that a fixture can be incorporated provided it is biased above the ambient DC potential. Some ion trajectories appear to terminate on the 'upstream' side of the fixture but these are in fact diverted round the obstacle in directions outside the viewing plane. In the case of these simulations a potential equal to the funnel's input DC can be used without pinching off ion flow.

This can be realised by fixing the external end into an insulated insert and supplying DC potential to the head with a specific track for instance via plating through hole from the outside.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein reference <NUM> and <NUM> sides pyramidal structures. It will be appreciated that per the present teaching three faces, which are typically provided with a truncated triangular geometry, is the minimum number of surfaces required to obtain an enclosed funnel volume necessary for ion enrichment but the present teaching does not need to be considered limited to these <NUM> and <NUM> surface configurations. It will be understood that exemplary embodiments of an ion funnel in accordance with the present teaching have been described. The present inventor has identified that it is possible to fabricate an ion guide with at least three sides, each of the sides preferably having a wedge shaped or triangular configuration and being individually planar in form. When assembled relative to one another none of the planar sides are parallel with others of the planar sides such that the multiple sides cooperate with one another to adopt a funnel geometry having multiple planar surface which abut one another at respective edges. By providing tracks on each of the multiple PCBs, it is possible operatively apply a voltage to those tracks to constrain the passage of ions that are moving through the funnel. This reduces the number of components and complexity compared to a stacked ring / stacked PCB device.

Claim 1:
An ion funnel (<NUM>) comprising a plurality of individual faces (<NUM>), each face being formed from a printed circuit board, the faces being arranged edge to edge relative to one another to form a pyramidal structure having a base (<NUM>) and an apex (<NUM>), an entrance (110A) to the ion funnel (<NUM>) being defined at the base (<NUM>) of the pyramidal structure and an exit (120A) from the ion funnel (<NUM>) being defined at the apex (<NUM>) of the pyramidal structure, the funnel being configured to define an ion path within the pyramidal structure between the entrance and the exit, each of the plurality of faces having a plurality of separate and distinct electrode tracks (<NUM>) defined on a respective inner surface (<NUM>), the plurality of electrode tracks (<NUM>) being arranged substantially transverse to the ion path and extending from the base (<NUM>) to the apex (<NUM>), and wherein adjacent electrode tracks (<NUM>) are operatively coupled to both radio frequency, RF, and DC voltages to effect RF ion confinement to focus and direct an ion beam (<NUM>) towards the exit of the funnel, and characterised in that the funnel further comprises DC biased guard rails (<NUM>) provided at the edges (<NUM>) of each of the faces, the guard rails (<NUM>) being configured to operatively bias ions away from the edges of the faces (<NUM>), the guard rails (<NUM>) extending from the base to the apex of the pyramidal structure