Essential elements of time-of-flight mass spectrometry in combination withthe inductively coupled plasma ion source

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) is once again an important method of mass analysis. Commercial ICP-MS instruments with TOF mass analyzers hav e recently become available and this article provides an overview of key is sues in the combination of TOFMS with the ICP source. The advantages of TOF MS for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the techno logical challenges in this combination are discussed in terms of basic prin ciples of TOFMS. The concepts described include: sources of peak broadening ; ion gating, duty-cycle and mass analyzer efficiency; signal digitizing in the nanosecond regime; comparisons with scanning mass analyzers; and selec tive quenching of ion signals in TOFMS. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.