Patent ID: 7411182

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing a scanning ion source system, comprising: an ion generation chamber including a conductive membrane disposed at a first end of the ion generation chamber and chamber walls interfaced with the conductive membrane, wherein the conductive membrane includes a plurality of orifices through the conductive membrane, wherein the orifices have a diameter of about 1 nanometer to 10 millimeters, and wherein a voltage source is in electrical communication with the conductive membrane; disposing the membrane into a sample; applying a first voltage to the membrane; ionizing molecules in the sample adjacent the membrane to produce a plurality of first ionized molecules; and producing a reverse-Taylor-cone of the sample through one or more of the orifices in the membrane, wherein the reverse-Taylor-cone extends into the ion generation chamber, and wherein the reverse-Taylor-cone of the sample includes the first ionized molecules.