Miniature ToF mass spectrometer with an integrated glow-discharge ion source

Abstract

This article presents the concept, realization and first mass spectra obtained in a newly developed MEMS mass spectrometer. This device is made of a series of vertically aligned silicon electrodes stacked in a 3D printed holder: three bottom ones form a glow-discharge ion source, next three are responsible for beam steering and the top one serves as a detector. Special electronic systems were designed to interrupt the ion beam and to record quickly changing current signals. By using the developed spectrometer we were able to detect spectrum of air, showing separated peaks of nitrogen and oxygen, both in molecular and atomic form.