Patent ID: 8487279

Claim:
A gas contamination sensor, configured to determine a level of contaminant gas mixed with a primary gas, the gas contamination sensor comprising: an inlet, configured to receive a sample of a gas comprising the primary gas and the contaminant gas mixed with the primary gas to be tested by the gas contamination sensor; an ion source, configured to generate a beam of ions from the sample of gas to be tested; a field generator, configured to generate a field that deflects a path of ions within the beam of ions by an amount depending on a ratio of the mass to the charge of the ions; a first ion detector, positioned to receive ions deflected by the field by a first extent and generated from the primary gas in the sample; and a second ion detector, positioned to receive ions deflected by the field by a second extent, different from the first extent, and generated from the contaminant gas in the sample, wherein the primary gas is H 2 gas having a pressure in a range of about 1×10 −2 mbar to about 1×10 −1 mbar.