Abstract: Biological molecules such as protein molecules are ionized without being damaged. Massive cluster ions of a water/methanol mixture (to which acetic acid or ammonia, etc., has been added) (in the vicinity of dry ice—acetone temperature) are generated in a charged-droplet generating chamber 31 by a cold electrospray 32, and the ions are accelerated in an evacuated acceleration chamber 41 by a high-voltage electric field on the order of 10 KV, thereby bombarding a biological sample thin film, which has been applied to a cooled specimen substrate, and achieving ionization of large biomolecules.

Abstract: Ionization efficiency is improved in Penning ionization capable of selective ionization. A metastable excited species of a rare gas is produced by introducing the rare gas into an ionization space and inducing an electrical discharge, a sample gas is introduced into the ionization space and Penning ionization is produced owing to collision between the sample gas and the metastable excited species of the rare gas. Electrons released from atoms or molecules positively ionized by Penning ionization are captured by applying a positive potential to an electron-capture electrode placed in the ionization space, and the atoms or molecules positively ionized are guided to a mass analyzer.

Abstract: Ionization efficiency is improved in Penning ionization capable of selective ionization. A metastable excited species of a rare gas is produced by introducing the rare gas into an ionization space and inducing an electrical discharge, a sample gas is introduced into the ionization space and Penning ionization is produced owing to collision between the sample gas and the metastable excited species of the rare gas. Electrons released from atoms or molecules positively ionized by Penning ionization are captured by applying a positive potential to an electron-capture electrode placed in the ionization space, and the atoms or molecules positively ionized are guided to a mass analyzer.

Abstract: A substrate M having a thin film on its surface is supported on a support 4. A gas discharge opening 12A of hydrogen radicals which faces the thin film on the substrate is provided. A semiconductor thin film is deposited on the substrate M by supplying the thin film with hydrogen radicals H from the gas discharge opening 12A while the substrate M is cooled via to 40 K or less through heat conduction via the support 4 by means of refrigerator 3.

Abstract: A substrate M having a thin film on its surface is supported on a support 4. A gas discharge opening 12A of hydrogen radicals which faces the thin film on the substrate is provided. A semiconductor thin film is deposited on the substrate M by supplying the thin film with hydrogen radicals H from the gas discharge opening 12A while the substrate M is cooled via to 40 K or less through heat conduction via the support 4 by means of refrigerator 3.