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Abstract

The invention relates to a microwave driven plasma ion source (1) for ionising a sample to be ionised to sample ions, the microwave driven plasma ion source (1) including a sample intake (6) for inserting the sample from an outside of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1) into an inside (3) of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1); a microwave generator (10) for generating microwaves for generating a plasma (101) from a plasma gas (100); a plasma torch (20) providing a plasma torch orientation direction (29) having an inside (21) for housing (2) a process of generation of the plasma (101) from the plasma gas (100) and for housing a process of ionising the sample to the sample ions by exposing the sample to the plasma (101), wherein the plasma torch (20) comprises a torch outlet (22) for letting out the plasma (101) and the sample ions from the inside (21) of the plasma torch (20) essentially in the plasma torch orientation direction (29) to an outside of the plasma torch (20), the torch outlet (22) having a torch aperture. Furthermore the microwave driven plasma ion source (1, 201) includes a shielding (4) for shielding off the microwaves from passing from the inside (3) of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1) to the outside of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1), wherein the shielding (4) comprises a shielding outlet (5) for letting out the plasma (101) and the sample ions from the inside (3) of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1) essentially in the plasma torch orientation direction (29) to the outside of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1), the shielding outlet (5) having a shielding aperture. Thereby, the shielding outlet (5) is fluidly coupled to the torch outlet (22) for letting out the plasma (101) and the sample ions from the inside (21) of the plasma torch (20) essentially in the plasma torch orientation direction (29) to the outside of the microwave driven plasma ion source (1), wherein a size of the shielding aperture is less than 150%, preferably less than 125%, particular preferably less than 110% of a size of the torch aperture, wherein both the size of the shielding aperture and the size of the torch aperture are measured in units of area.

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First Claim