Thin Solid Films, Vol.499, No.1-2, 44-48, 2006
Improvement of the inlet system for the spray-jet technique for use in spectroscopic studies and molecular deposition
We previously developed a molecular beam apparatus with a spray-jet technique in order to produce a molecular beam of non-volatile molecules in vacuum from the sprayed mist of a sample solution. The apparatus is for use in spectroscopic studies or a means of molecular deposition. The spray-jet inlet system consisted of an ultrasonic nebulizer, an inlet chamber and a pulsed nozzle. In the present paper, further improvements to the spray-jet inlet system are reported. The main improvement is the introduction of a pneumatic nebulizer to replace the previous ultrasonic nebulizer. The efficiency of molecular beam generation was evaluated on the basis of the signal intensity of the resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass (REMPI-TOFMS) spectra for a Rhodamine B/methanol solution and the amount of sample consumed. The introduction of the pneumatic nebulizer increased the efficiency by a factor of 20. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:spray-jet technique;molecular beam;REMPI-TOFMS spectroscopy;ultrasonic nebulizer;pneumatic nebulizer