CPC H01J 49/406 (2013.01) [H01J 49/403 (2013.01); H01J 49/4225 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
1. A time-of-flight mass analyser comprising:
at least one ion mirror and/or sector for reflecting or turning ions in a first dimension (X-dimension);
an ion accelerator for pulsing ion packets into the ion mirror or sector;
an ion detector; and
focusing electrodes arranged and configured to control the motion of ions in a second dimension (Z-dimension) orthogonal to the first dimension so as to spatially focus each of the ion packets so that it is smaller, in the second dimension, at the detector than when pulsed out of the ion accelerator;
wherein the focusing electrodes are spaced apart from each other in the first dimension by a gap, wherein the gap is elongated in the second dimension and the longitudinal axis of the gap curves in a plane defined by the first and second dimensions (X-Z plane).
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