Planar Lab-On-A-Chip Micro Mass Spectrometer with Time-Of-Flight Separation

A planar lab-on-a-chip mass spectrometer was developed to get a low-priced micro mass spectrometer for gas analysis from =1 amu. This micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) has a size of 6.5 mm x 11 mm, is fabricated with Lithografie, Galvanoformung-technology (LiGa), and consists of nickel and sapphire. A Time-of-Flight (ToF) mass separator is used for ion separation. Besides the separation, the MEMS includes a plasma based electron impact ionization chamber, an energy filter and a Faraday cup. The results show a functioning system and first mass spectra of a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen (N
₂
), oxygen (O
₂
) and carbon dioxide (CO
₂
). The first measurements show a mass resolution of up to 16 and a limit of detection down to 500 ppm.