Miniature, 3-D Printed RF Quadrupole Mass Filters for Cubesats

Abstract

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of the first monolithically 3-D printed, hyperbolic, compact RF quadrupole mass filters. The devices are made via multimaterial extrusion. We also developed compact electronics to drive the quadrupoles that are compatible with the size, weight, and power constraints of deployable platforms, such as CubeSats (<3 W, up to 400 Vpp sinusoidal amplitude, 1–3 MHz, >2000 voltage steps for 100:1 resolution). Characterization of prototypes in vacuum shows the devices can scan the 1–250 amu mass range and correctly identify Ar.