Resolution enhancement of field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) by ion focusing

BACKGROUND: Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) is a material analysis technology which develops very fast in recent years. Resolution is an important factor used to estimate the performance of this technology. With greater resolution, it’s always easier to separate complex mixtures. RESULTS: A method to increase the resolution of FAIMS is put forward which focuses ions before they enter the drift tube. By adding several pairs of focus electrodes loaded with DC or RF voltage in front of the FAIMS drift tube, the height of the ion beam flowing into the drift tube is decreased, which improves the resolution of the FAIMS spectrum. The effectiveness of this method is verified through SIMION simulation and experiments. Both the DC focusing mode and the AC focusing mode can improve the resolution of the FAIMS system, with the biggest increase of 37%. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other methods of improving FAIMS resolution, this method needs neither additional special gases, nor additional auxiliary equipment. It is easy to miniaturize, and can work under atmospheric pressure.