Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is a soft
ionization technique used in mass spectrometry, allowing the analysis
of biomolecules (biopolymers such as proteins, peptides and sugars)
and large organic molecules (such as polymers, dendrimers and other
macromolecules), which tend to be fragile and fragment when ionized by
more conventional ionization methods. It is most similar in character
to electrospray ionization both in relative softness and the ions
produced (although it causes many fewer multiply charged ions).
http://www.biosolutions.info/2009/12/maldi.html