DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE AREA XY STAGE FOR THE MALDI-FTMS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) is now a well established technique in biochemistry, but there are only a half dozen groups worldwide that are investigating the characteristics of a MALDI ion source on a Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer - in spite of some obvious advantages (ion source decoupled from ion detection, high resolution and mass accuracy, tandem mass spectrometry). The new XY stage allows 5¿x5¿ motion at 2 mm/sec, with full linear and rotary indexed positioning resulting in a positioning accuracy of ~1 micron. The stage has been designed, constructed, and tested on the bench and has been installed in vacuum, and it functioned to specifications. After about a month, one axis and then the other stopped as the motors burned out. Current development involves decreasing the load friction, improving the heat sinks, or finding a different motor that will not burn out in vacuum. The problem which caused the burnout was determined to be an oscillation in the positioning system, which was removed with better tuning. The final version of this stage has been installed and has been functioning flawlessly for months.