Micro-Scale Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer

The proposed research comprises design, analysis, and ultimate fabrication and operation of a microfabricated array of quadrupole mass spectrometers (QMS). The design capitalizes on recent advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and molecular-beam-epitaxy (MBE) technology so that the device can be mass-produced on a chip. In addition to analyzing a single element QMS in Phase 1, investigators will pursue architectures for multiplexing this geometry to a micromachined array of QMS on a single chip (mAQMS). The analyses of feasibility and expected performance of mAQMS will be guided by the proposing team's demonstrated success in developing similar micro-machined quadrupole ion traps. By implementing the quadrupole element in a massively parallel array, it may be possible to either individually tune filter elements to dedicated mass species allowing real-time sampling and circumventing the need for timely scans, or increase the detection efficiency of the micro-array by simultaneously sampling a given mass with a large number of individual detectors and filters.