Glow discharge electron impact ionization source for miniature mass spectrometers

A glow discharge electron impact ionization (GDEI) source was developed for operation using air as the support gas. An alternative to the use of thermoemission from a resistively heated filament electron source for miniature mass spectrometers, the GDEI source is shown to have advantages of long lifetime under high-pressure operation and low power consumption. The GDEI source was characterized using our laboratory's handheld mass spectrometer, the Mini 10. The effects of the discharge voltage and pressure were investigated. Design considerations are illustrated with calculations. Performance is demonstrated in a set of experimental tests. The results show that the low power requirements, mechanical ruggedness, and quality of the data produced using the small glow discharge ion source make it well-suited for use with a portable handheld mass spectrometer.