Simple and inexpensive time-of-flight charge-to-mass analyzer for ion beam source characterization

We describe the design, electronics, and test results of a simple and low-cost time-of-flight ion charge-to-mass analyzer that is suitable for ion source characterization. The method selects a short-time sample of the beam whose charge-to-mass composition is then separated according to ion velocity and detected by a remote Faraday cup. The analyzer is a detachable device that has been used for rapid analysis of charge-to-mass composition of ion beams accelerated by voltages of up to about 100 kV.