Patent ID: 7378653

Claim:
A method for increasing the kinetic energy of an ion in a direction along a central axis of a linear electrode structure, the electrode structure including a first end region, a second end region spaced from the first end region along the central axis, and a central region axially interposed between the first and second end regions, and defining an interior space in which the ion is disposed, the interior space extending along the central axis through the first end region, the central region and the second end region, the method conspiring the steps of: constraining axial motion of the ion substantially to a selected one of the first and second end regions; and driving the ion to move axially from the selected end region toward the other end region and to reflect back toward the selected end region, by subjecting the ion to an electric field that maximizes the amount of kinetic energy imparted to the ion while driven from the selected end region toward the other end region.