Patent ID: 7405396

Claim:
A system for providing sample ions comprising: a vacuum lock chamber having disposed therein a sample support changing mechanism; a sample chamber connected to the vacuum lock chamber, the sample chamber having a sample support transfer mechanism disposed therein, the sample support transfer mechanism configured to extract a sample support from a loading region of the sample support changing mechanism such that the sample support is registered in the sample support transfer mechanism to within about .±.0.002″ in a Z direction, to within about .±.0.005″ in a X direction, and to within about .±.0.005″ in a Y direction, wherein the X, Y and Z directions are mutually orthogonal; and wherein the sample support transfer mechanism is mounted on a multiaxis translation stage such that the sample support can be translated to a position where sample ions can be generated by laser irradiation of a sample on the surface of the sample support while said sample support is held in the sample support transfer mechanism and the sample support transfer mechanism is in the sample chamber, and said sample ions extracted into a mass analyzer system in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the sample support.