Field desorption - ion source and a method for their preparation

摘要

A gas permeable electrode is arranged to project into an evacuated space with the vacuum side of the electrode coated with a gas impervious material except at the tip of the electrode. The other end of the electrode is exposed to an ionizable gas that is caused to diffuse through the electrode and be ionized at the tip of the electrode on the high vacuum side by an electrical field created between the gas permeable electrode and an extraction electrode in the high vacuum space.