Seminars

ME/IE 8773-8774
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY SERIES
Nanoparticles and the Environment
Host: David Y.H. Pui

MEMS Mass Spectrometry

by

Beau Farmer, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
TSI Incorporated

Wednesday, April 7, 2004
3:30-5:00 p.m.
Room 1130 ME
Coffee and cookies will be available at 3:15 p.m. before the seminar

Abstract: This presentation was prepared recently as part of a National Science Foundation workshop on “Prospects for Miniaturization of Mass Spectrometry.” Small, portable mass spectrometers hold promise for a wide range of research, test and measurement applications in a broad array of disciplines. While most miniaturization efforts have focused on developing meso-scale systems, some researchers have aggressively pursued scaling by using the tools and processes of the MEMS industry to shrink the dimensions of mass spectrometer components and systems. This presentation will review MEMS fabrication applied to several exemplary mass analyzer approaches including magnetic selection, linear quadrupole, time of flight and ion trap technologies. The general observation is that MEMS techniques have been used successfully for many individual system components, mainly for use in low mass range devices (to ~100 amu). More recently, integration has been pursued with some success, for example in a static magnetic field device that combines micro-tip field emission ionization, ExB ion separation and electrode detection. Despite these advances, complete MEMS mass spectrometry systems still appear to be far from being realized.

Bio: Dr. Kenneth R. Farmer, II (Beau) is the Chief Technology Officer at TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN 55126 [tel: 651-765-3775; email: beau.farmer@tsi.com]. Prior to 2003, he served as Director of both the Microelectronics Research Center and the NJ MEMS Initiative at NJIT in Newark, NJ, where he was an Associate Professor of Physics. He also maintained an adjunct appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, New York, NY. He received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics in 1990 from Cornell University, and his B.S. degree in Engineering Physics in 1983 from the University of Virginia. Before joining NJIT in 1992, he served as a guest scientist in the Department of Solid State Electronics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. He has been the P.I. on over $4M in research grants and contracts over the past 10 years, including federal, state and industrial awards for MEMS and microelecronics. Among these has been the prestigious NSF CAREER award, several additional NSF grants, a $1.7M grant to establish the NJ MEMS Initiative, and an EPA award to develop a microengineered mass spectrometer. He has received three patents, and is the author of over 50 publications and 20 invited presentations.

Informal Faculty Luncheon: Wednesday, April 7, 2004, 12:00 noon. Meet in 1100 ME and walk to lunch with other faculty. Dr. Beau Farmer will be able to attend.