MS Detectors

摘要

Just as laser eye surgery has restored fading human vision, new technologies are needed to improve ion "chemical vision" detection. In MS, detectors are the "eyes" of the instrument. New detectors and technologies are needed to correct, improve, and extend ion detection and, hence, our "chemical vision". This report reviews current MS detector technology and provides a glimpse of what we hope future detectors will be capable of. The technology of MS can be divided into three processes: ion generation, ion separation, and ion detection. Ion generation and separation have received significant and focused attention. The first prevalent MS ionization source, the electron impact (EI) source, has given way to a variety of other specialized ionization sources, for example, spark source (SS), thermal ionization, chemical ionization, fast-atom bombardment, secondary ion, glow discharge, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), ESI, and MALDI. Similarly, a variety of ion (mass/charge) separators have been developed, including the seminal sector-field or magnetic MS, electrodynamic techniques (2-D quadrupoles, 3-D quadrupole ion traps), combined magnetic and electrodynamic techniques (FT ion cyclotron resonance [ICR]), and drift-tube or TOF devices.