Triple Conversion Array Detector for Mass Spectrometry

A multichannel array detector for mass spectroscopy with a novel configuration will bedeveloped. A triple conversion approach is used whereby incident ions are used to generate secondaryelectrons which strike a scintillator which produces optical photons. The photons are detected with animaging charge coupled device (COD) operated in a cooled, slow scan mode to reduce readout noise.The detector is expected to have far greater dynamic range and spatial resolution that the conventionalmicrochannel plate intensifier and photodiode array detector configuration. The added dynamic rangewill allow this detector to be used in applications where high dynamic range signals are encountered,such as gas chromatography -- mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The higher spatial resolution will permitdetection of a wider mass window for a given physical detector size and spectrometer focal plane size.