Design, microfabrication, and analysis of micrometer-sized cylindrical ion trap arrays

A description of the design and microfabrication of arrays of micrometer-scale cylindrical ion traps is offered. Electrical characterization and initial ion trapping experiments with a massively parallel array of 5μm internal radius (r₀) sized cylindrical ion traps (CITs) are also described. The ion trap, materials, and design are presented and shown to be critical in achieving minimal trapping potential while maintaining minimal power consumption. The ion traps, fabricated with metal electrodes, have inner radii of 1, 2, 5, and 10μm and range from 5to24μm in height. The electrical characteristics of packaged ion trap arrays were measured with a vector network analyzer. The testing focused on trapping toluene (C₇H₈), mass 91, 92, or 93amu, in the 5μm sized CITs. Ions were formed via electron impact ionization and were ejected by turning off the rf voltage applied to the ring electrode; a current signal was collected at this time. Optimum ionization and trapping conditions, such as a sufficient pseudopotential well and high ionization to ion loss rate ratio (as determined by simulation), proved to be difficult to establish due to the high device capacitance and the presence of exposed dielectric material in the trapping region. However, evidence was obtained suggesting the trapping of ions in 1%-15% of the traps in the array. These first tests on micrometer-scale CITs indicated the necessary materials and device design modifications for realizing ultrasmall and low power ion traps.