IBO has selected Agilent’s 8800 triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma–MS (ICP-MS) as the outstanding new product at this year’s ASMS meeting. While the majority of ICP-MS systems are based on single quadrupole mass analyzers, and there are a handful of TOF and magnetic sector systems, the 8800 is the first triple quadrupole ICP-MS. Thus, the 8800 is the first ICP-MS capable of performing MS/MS. ICP-MS is primarily a quantitative instrument, but the need for sensitivity to analyze ever-smaller concentrations has been driving the development of improved ICP-MS performance. The system also can be operated as a standard single quadrupole ICP-MS.

The 8800 ICP-MS is expected to have the most significant immediate impact in the semiconductor and fine chemicals industries. As the architecture of semiconductors and microelectronics continues to get smaller, it also become sensitive to smaller amounts of contaminants. The 8800 is able to monitor the increased purity of such chemicals. Configured as an LC-ICP-MS, the system can provide improved detection limits for sulfur- and phosphorous-containing compounds.

The launch is also significant in that Agilent has more than a quarter of the ICP-MS market share. With a price of over $300,000, the 8800 is more expensive than a quadrupole ICP-MS, which averages less than $200,000. However, the new system is more capable and is likely to create a new market segment. The 8800 ICP-MS will begin shipping in June.