Compact, Monolithically 3-D-Printed, Hyperbolic Quadrupole Mass Filters for CubeSat Mass Spectrometry

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of monolithically 3-D-printed, hyperbolic, compact RF quadrupole mass filters (QMFs) for CubeSat mass spectrometry (MS). The devices are fabricated via multimaterial extrusion using polylactic acid (PLA) for the dielectric parts and PLA doped with copper nanoparticles for the conductive parts. The work also included the development of compact electronics to drive the QMFs that are compatible with the size, weight, and power constraints of CubeSats. Experimental characterization shows the QMFs can scan up to 300 Da of mass range and can satisfactorily generate mass spectra for argon (a representative gas found in the ionosphere). The work is of interest for in-space manufacturing of CubeSat chemical sensors that could expand our understanding of climate change and atmospheric pollution.