ION DETECTION EFFICIENCY OF MICROCHANNEL PLATES

I S Gilmore and M P Seah, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 202 (2000) 217

I. S. Gilmore and M. P. Seah
National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, UK
e-mail: Ian.Gilmore@npl.co.uk

The effect of ion energy, mass and composition on the detection efficiency of a
microchannel plate (MCP) have been studied in detail [1], using a time-of-flight mass
spectrometer. This spectrometer is used for static Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (static
SIMS) although the data are relevant to any ion detection system. A theoretical model is
developed which shows how the efficiency falls with increased mass and decreased ion
impact energy at the front of the MCP. At an impact energy of 20 keV, the efficiency for the
detection of cationised PS oligomers of mass 10,000 amu is approximately 80% whereas, at 5
keV, it has fallen to around 5%. The model is extended to estimate the effect of ion
composition on the detection efficiency.
Figure 1 illustrates that ions with a high hydrogen content have a lower efficiency
than those which consist of a cluster of high atomic number atoms. The spread of detection
efficiencies arising from both the effect of composition and mass may be reduced by
increasing the ion impact energy, so that, up to a mass of 4000 amu, the spread of 100%
observed for 5 keV ion impact energy is reduced to a negligible spread for ions of 20 keV
impact energy, where the efficiency is approximately unity, independent of the composition.
A simple method is provided to determine the correct voltage to operate the MCP for a given
efficiency. The transition voltage [2] VT, which gives 50% of the plateau efficiency, may be
quickly and accurately determined because of the steep efficiency gradient. Values of VT and
the corresponding voltage VN, to achieve 98% efficiency, are shown in Fig 2. The operating
voltage, V, is now defined as 1.3(VN-VT) + VT. For the values in Fig 2:
V = VT + 29.1 + 0.0572 m (1)
This operating voltage should be determined for the highest mass ions in the required range.
1.2 900
20 kV
1 850
MCP voltage, V

10 Operating Voltage
0.8 800
Efficiency

0.6 750
98% of plateau, VN
5
0.4 700

0.2 2 650
50% of plateau, VT
0 600
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Ion mass, amu Ion mass, amu
Fig 1 Estimated detection efficiency for Cr Fig 2 MCP operating voltage together
cluster ions (upper curve) and hydrocarbons with VT and VN.
(lower curve) for post-acceleration voltages
between 2 and 20 kV.

[1] I S Gilmore and M P Seah, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 202 (2000) 217.
[2] M P Seah, The VAM Bulletin, 10 (1993) 23.

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