Computational evaluation of mass filter acceptance and transmittance influenced by developing fields: An application of the plane method to investigate prefilter efficacy for rectangular wave operated mass filters.

The acceptance of quadrupole mass filters is improved when the alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) fields are developed separately. Physically, this is achieved when a short RF only quadrupole (prefilter) is situated directly ahead of the mass filter. The acceptance gained by a system operating with a prefilter can be observed as an increase in sensitivity over conventional operation. Frequency dynamic duty cycle based rectangular waveform driven (rectangular wave) mass filters, a recent development, currently do not operate with prefilters. Little is known about the influence of duty cycle changes on the acceptance of rectangular wave mass filters. The sensitivity gain seen by conventional systems operating with prefilters indicates that the sensitivity of duty cycle based rectangular wave systems should increase comparably. The objective of this work was to determine prefilter efficacy for nonspecific rectangular wave mass filter systems. In this work, the plane method of acceptance was used to model the change to the acceptance and transmittance of sine and rectangular waveform driven mass filters under different modes of field development. Both systems indicated a fourfold increase in sensitivity when the mass filtering DC or duty cycle was delayed.