Abstract: A residual gas sensor, suitable for mounting within an low pressure chamber, includes an array of quadrupoles formed from a plurality of parallel rods mounted in a cantilevered fashion in a glass seal. Sixteen parallel rods form an array of nine quadrupoles with adjacent quadrupoles sharing adjacent rods. A filament emitting electrons ionize gas molecules present in the low pressure chamber. These ions enter channels in the center of each quadrupole and are accelerated towards a collector having a surface mounted within each channel of each quadrupole. Voltages are applied to the rods thereby creating an identical electric field within the channels of each quadrupoles of the array. By varying the voltages applied to the rods, the electric field within the channels can be tuned to permit only ions having a specific mass-to-charge ratio to make contact with the collector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a gas sensor having multiple quadrupoles formed in an array by positioning a plurality of rods in an array of quadrupoles, forming a glass bead on the rods, positioning a source of electrons proximate to one end of the rods to ionize gas molecules, positioning an electrical lens proximate to the source of electrons to induce ionized gas molecules, positioning a collector proximate to the rods and displaced from the lens to receive the ionized gas molecules, providing electrical connections through the glass bead to the source of electrons, to the lens, to the collector and to the rods, and heating the glass beads formed on a plurality of rods positioned in the array of quadrupoles to grip and hold the rods in a cantilevered position to thereby seal the electrical connections.

Abstract: A residual gas sensor, suitable for mounting within an low pressure chamber, includes an array of quadrupoles formed from a plurality of parallel rods mounted in a cantilevered fashion in a glass seal. Sixteen parallel rods form an array of nine quadrupoles with adjacent quadrupoles sharing adjacent rods. A filament emitting electrons ionize gas molecules present in the low pressure chamber. These ions enter channels in the center of each quadrupole and are accelerated towards a collector having a surface mounted within each channel of each quadrupole. Voltages are applied to the rods thereby creating an identical electric field within the channels of each quadrupoles of the array. By varying the voltages applied to the rods, the electric field within the channels can be tuned to permit only ions having a specific mass-to-charge ratio to make contact with the collector.