Mass spectrometers are analytical systems that analyse electronically charged atoms and molecules on the basis of their particle mass. The universal ability to analyse almost all substances that can be ionised has made this technology very popular.

In the past decades, mass spectrometry has found its way into many analytical laboratories due to the development of the coupling technologies GC/MS and LC/MS, which use mass spectrometers as online detectors for chromatographic separation technologies.

At the same time, the use of mass spectrometers as an online analysis tool for the fast and continuous analysis of substance contents has made rapid progress in the research area as well as in industrial laboratories.

The following steps characterise the analytical process of mass spectrometers in general:

• The substance - preferably in a gaseous state - is transferred into a vacuum system
• The atoms and/or molecules of the substance are ionized
• The ions are separated in a mass analyzer according to their particle mass


• Each particle mass to charge ratio is detected individually so that its quantity can be determined
• A computer system controls the entire process as well as the data acquisition and processing

Accordingly, a mass spectrometer consists of five essential parts:

1. Gas inlet system
2. Ion source
3. Mass analyzer
4. Detector
5. Control and data system

The ion source, the mass analyzer and the detector are located in high vacuum.