Charge Plate Monitor for Evaluating the Performance of Air Ionizers Used to Neutralize Static Charges

Advanced Energy’s Trek 156A tests the efficiency of an ionizer’s ion production by timing how long it takes air ions produced to discharge a floating plate that has been pre-charged to either a positive or negative value.

• Monitored Voltage Range: 0 to ±1100 VDC or peak AC
• Large Signal Bandwidth: (-3dB): DC to 10 Hz
• Decay Mode Thresholds: Programmable from 1 to ±1000 V in 1V increments (accurate within ±1V of programmed voltage)

Overview

The Trek® 156A tests the efficiency of an ionizer’s ion production by timing how long it takes air ions produced to discharge a floating plate that has been pre-charged to either a positive or negative value. The Trek 156A also tests the balance between positive and negative air ions by measuring the offset voltage generated on a floating plate due to an imbalance of positive and negative air ions impinging on the plate from the ionizer.

Typically, as an ionizer ages, the rates of positive and negative air ion production decline. Consequently, the time required for the ionizer to neutralize static charges increases, and the balance of positive and negative air ions changes. The neutralization (decay) time may become too long for the ionizer to fully neutralize charges that are generated at a work location, or the ionizer may begin to charge objects that were initially uncharged.

Benefits

• Set custom measurement capacitance for assurance that ESD process needs are met in manufacturing
• Easily transport within a facility with the compact and lightweight design
• Use for ESD monitoring of sensitive manufacturing processes such as semiconductor, disk drive, and LC

Features

• Extremely low offset and drift ensures high accuracy, making it ideal for applications requiring critical ion balance such as GMR and TMR manufacturing areas
• NIST-traceable Certificate of Calibration provided with each unit

• Performance

  Monitored Voltage Range

   

  0 to ±1100 V DC or peak AC

   

  Large Signal Bandwidth

   

  DC to 10 Hz (measured at 2000 V p-p)

   

  Small Signal Bandwidth (-3dB)

   

  DC to 1 kHz (measured at 20 V p-p)

   

  Plate Self-Discharge Rate

   

  Less than 12 V/minute

• Voltage Monitor

  Output

   

  BNC provides low voltage replica of plate

   

  Scale Factor

   

  1/200th of the plate voltage

   

  DC Accuracy

   

  Better than 0.1% of full-scale

• Mechanical

  H x W x D

   

  83 x 318 x 280 mm (3.25 x 12.5 x 11 in)

   

  Weight

   

  2 kg (4.4 lb)

• Operating Conditions

  Temperature

   

  5 to 35°C (41 to 95°F)

   

  Relative Humidity

   

  To 80%, non-condensing

   

  Altitude

   

  To 2000 m (6561.68 ft)

• Typical Applications

  • ESD monitoring of sensitive manufacturing processes such as semiconductor, disk drive, and LCD
  • Testing of all types of ionizers, including room ionization systems, AC and DC blowers, nuclear ionizers, gun-type ionizers, and pulsed DC ionizers
  • High-temperature applications
  • ESD measurement of de-ionized water
  • Dissipative testing applications