Question

With regards to a Time of flight mass analyzer how does it work. Specifically how does a reflection work and what is it good for and why do we use a MCP instead of a single electron multiplier?

Answer 1

In TOF analyzer the sorting of ions is done in absence of magnetic field. The ions produced are acquiring different velocities depending on their masses. Here, the particles reach the detector in the order of the increasing order of their masses.

A 3D time-of-flight (TOF) reflection works by illuminating the scene with a modulated light source, and observing the reflected light. An imaging sensor designed to respond to the same spectrum receives the light and converts the photonic energy to electrical current.

A micro-channel plate (MCP) is a planar component used for detection of single particles (electrons, ions and neutrons) and low intensity impinging radiation (ultraviolet radiation and X-rays). It is closely related to an electron multiplier, as both intensify single particles or photons by the multiplication of electrons via secondary emission. However, because a microchannel plate detector has many separate channels, it can additionally provide spatial resolution. Therefore, MCP is used instead of single electron multiplier.