HIGH FLUX PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT TOF MASS SPECTROMETRY.

A somewhat different approach to the design of a SIMS-TOF mass spectrometer has been investigated. The primary ion beam fluxes are high enough to produce secondary ion currents that are more easily observed as analog signals, rather than single ions. This means that analog-to-digital conversion (waveform recording) and signal averaging techniques are more appropriate than single- or multiple-stop timing. The approach is compatible with a liquid matrix, such as glycerol, which serves the same purposes as in the sector and quadrupole instruments when coupled with FAB sources. An advantage of this approach is therefore the ability to alter the solution chemistry to enhance the formation of molecular ions.