Patent ID: 8552367

Claim:
A micro-reflectron for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the micro-reflectron comprising: a substrate and, integrated within an inner volume of the substrate, at least two polarization electrodes and a wall of at least one resistive material wherein the substrate comprises two bonded wafers, at least one of the wafers having an etched channel therein, such that the bonded wafers define a tube enclosed by the wall and the at least two polarization electrodes extending longitudinally along the tube, the tube comprising a flight zone for ions, and wherein the wall is polarized between the at least two polarization electrodes and generates a continuous potential gradient, the at least two polarization electrodes providing the continuous potential gradient for a reflectron and the flight zone, the at least two polarization electrodes and the wall being obtained by microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology comprising etching, deposition, and assembly and the micro-reflectron having a thickness in a thickness direction of less than 5 millimeters, and two characteristic lateral dimensions orthogonal to the thickness direction of less than 10 times the thickness.