JPH0882980A - Ion generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make the structure simple, to make the production easy, and to prevent wear of electrode by providing an ion generating electrode whose surface is coated with an insulating layer, on an insulating substrate and an induction electrode having nearly the same level as the ion generating electrode on both sides of the ion generating electrode leaving a specified interval. CONSTITUTION: The ion generating electrode 103 is formed on the ceramic substrate 102, a glass insulating layer 104 is formed to cover the ion generating electrode 103, and the induction electrode 105 is formed on both sides of the electrode 103. Electric field on the electrode 103 can be concentrated by providing the electrode 105 on both sides of the electrode 103 in this way. Since the ion generating electrode and electrodes 103 and 105 are provided at the same level, the structure is simple, and the production is easy. Since the surface of the ion generating electrode is coated with the insulating layer, the wear of the electrode is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ion generator, and particularly, without causing deterioration of an insulating layer or wear of electrodes.
The present invention relates to a solidified ion generator that enables stable generation of ions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the electrophotographic method applied to a copying machine or the like applies a high voltage of about 6 kV to a corona charger to cause corona discharge and generate ions in the air.
Thereby, the step of charging the photoconductor is included. The corona charger is composed of a thin tungsten wire having a diameter of about 80 μm and a shield electrode arranged around the tungsten wire with a distance of about 1 cm. In this corona charger, most of the generated ions flow to the shield electrode, and the number of ions used to charge the photoconductor is about several percent.

The surface potential of the photoconductor is determined by the distance between the corona charger and the photoconductor, the voltage applied to the corona charger, and the charging time of the photoconductor passing through the corona charger. The surface potential of the corona charger depends on the recording speed. It is necessary to set the distance between the wire and the shield and the applied voltage. Further, at a high applied voltage, the tungsten wire vibrates, which may cause damage to the wire. On the other hand, the amount of ozone generated from the corona charger is as large as 0.4 to 4 ppm, which hinders the surrounding environment.

On the other hand, there has been proposed a solidified ion generator for generating high density ions by applying a high frequency voltage to two electrodes having an insulating layer sandwiched therebetween (US Pat. No. 4,155,155).
No. 093), here, an example in which a solidified ion generator is applied to an ion head, transfer, and charge removal is shown. Hereinafter, this solidified ion generator will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 5, a solidified ion generator 501 is provided.
Has a structure in which the ion generating electrode 503 and the induction electrode 504 are provided on both surfaces of the insulating layer 502. The induction electrode 504 has a slit 505 that concentrates an electric field for ion generation. The ion generating electrode 503 and the induction electrode 504
Between the high frequency power supply 506 and 100 kHz, 2.8
A high frequency voltage of kV _pp is applied to generate high density positive and negative ions. Induction electrode 504 of this solidified ion generator
A bias voltage of −600 V is applied from a DC power source 507 to the ion trajectory 508 of the generated positive and negative ions.
Negative ions are selected along the line and the recording medium 509 is set to -600.
Charge to V. Since a sufficient amount of ions from the solidified ion generator 501 is generated, the recording medium 50
9 is charged to a bias voltage of -600V.

This conventional solidified ion generator has the advantage that it does not have the disconnection of wires as seen in a corona charger, but has the following points to be improved. That is, the insulating layer 502 of this solidified ion generator has a high electric field 5 formed by the ion generating electrode 503 and the induction electrode 504.
10 is added, and an induction electrode 504 is formed on the surface of the insulating layer 502.
Charge injection occurs due to the impact 511 due to the electrons emitted from and the generated ions, and the surface resistance decreases. As a result, the electric field decreases and the amount of generated ions decreases. In addition, the induction electrode 504, which has been subjected to ion bombardment in a high electric field, suffers electrode abrasion due to the sputtering action of ions, and this sputtered electrode material adheres to the surface of the insulating layer 502, reducing the surface resistance of the insulating layer 502, As a result, the amount of generated ions is reduced.

Therefore, in this solidified ion generator,
A crystalline mica resistant to ion bombardment is used as the insulating layer 502, and a special material such as a high melting point tungsten thin plate is used as an electrode material. The structure in which the induction electrode aligned with is bonded is adopted. The fine slits for ion generation of the induction electrode were provided on a thin tungsten plate by using a special processing technique, and the assembly was performed by an adhesion technique.

However, in this solidified ion generator, by using a tungsten thin plate as the electrode material,
Although the electrode wear is prevented, the tungsten electrode also wears gradually over a long period of use. Further, since the ion generator is assembled by the bonding technique, there are many problems in terms of mass productivity and manufacturability.

On the other hand, it has been proposed to manufacture an electrode and an insulating layer by a thick film technique to form an ion generator having the same structure as described above (Japanese Patent Application No. 61-174569). This proposal shows that the induction electrode and the ion generation electrode are coated with a glass insulating layer to prevent electrode abrasion. It is a well-known fact that the electrode is covered with a glass insulating layer and is stably discharged by an AC voltage for a long time, which is well known for starting a gas laser or the like.
104 (1984) 217); (Proc. 8th I
nt. Conf. Gas Discharges an
d Their Applications, Oxford
d, 1985 (leeds Univ. Press,
(1985) 551).

In the ion generator in which the ion generating electrode, the insulating layer, and the induction electrode are sequentially stacked and the surface of the insulating layer on the electrode is connected, the surface resistance of the insulating layer fluctuates due to environmental fluctuations and dirt, so that ion generation occurs. The surface potential of the insulating layer on both electrodes that determines the electric field changes, which affects the amount of generated ions.

Further, there is a proposal (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-136060) in which both electrodes are embedded in an insulating substrate. In this proposal, the insulating material on both electrodes has a surface potential of opposite polarity for ion generation. Therefore, there is a problem in that the surface resistance of the insulating substrate is also greatly affected.

On the other hand, recently, it has been desired to reduce the amount of ozone generated from the ion generator from the viewpoint of the environment in which the printer is used. The ozone generation amount increases with the ion energy at the time of ion generation, but since this energy becomes the maximum in the vicinity of the slit of the induction electrode of the solidified ion generator, the ozone generation amount from this region is large. In Europe, it is desired to reduce the amount of ozone generated from office equipment such as printers to 0.02 ppm or less, but it is 0.4 in ordinary chargers.
ppm or more is generated. In the above solidified ion generator, the ozone generation amount can be suppressed to about 0.08 ppm, but this amount is insufficient, and it is desired to further reduce the ozone amount.

[0013]

As described above,
In the conventional solidified ion generator, a high-frequency high-frequency voltage is applied between electrodes provided via an insulating layer, and a strong electric field is generated in the air by the insulating layer on the ion generating electrode and the exposed induction electrode,
It causes an air discharge to generate ions. Such an ion generator is superior to the conventional corona charger in terms of stability and life, but the ion energy is large in the strong electric field region near the induction electrode, and deterioration of the insulating layer and electrode wear due to ion bombardment occur. Occurs. Therefore, an attempt has been made to solve these problems by using crystalline mica as the insulating material and a special material such as a high melting point tungsten thin plate as the electrode material, but there are many problems in terms of mass productivity and manufacturability.

On the other hand, there is a proposal of an inexpensive ion generator which is provided with a glass insulating material and an Au electrode by a thick film technique and is excellent in mass productivity. There is a problem that the amount of generated ions decreases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a solid-state ion generator which can prevent mass deterioration and electrode wear due to ion bombardment and can be mass-produced. The purpose is to do.

It is another object of the present invention to prevent the deterioration of the insulating layer and the electrode wear due to ion bombardment, and to reduce the ozone generation amount. The purpose is to provide a container.

[0017]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention (claim 1) provides an insulating substrate and an ion generating electrode provided on the insulating substrate and having a surface covered with an insulating layer. And an inductive electrode provided on the insulating substrate at substantially the same level as the ion generating electrode at a predetermined distance on both sides of the ion generating electrode, and an alternating voltage between the ion generating electrode and the inductive electrode. And a means for applying a DC voltage to a counter electrode arranged so as to face the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, wherein an alternating voltage is applied between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, Provided is an ion generating device, wherein ions generated in the ion generating electrode by air discharge are caused to fly to the counter electrode by applying a DC voltage to the electrode.

In such an ion generator, the insulating layer is formed so as to cover not only the ion generating electrode but also the insulating substrate between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode and a part of the induction electrode. May be. Further, it may be formed so as to cover the entire surface of the induction electrode.

A glass insulating layer can be used as the insulating layer, and the electrode material is an electrode material which is resistant to oxidation during firing of the glass insulating layer in oxygen and which does not melt at the firing temperature (Tg). Is preferably selected. For example,
As the glass insulating layer, a low-melting glass material capable of completely removing an organic solvent at 800 ° C. to 1000 ° C. is used, and as an electrode material, a melting point (Ta: 1064 ° C.) higher than a firing temperature, Au that does not oxidize, or high temperature is used. Good results can be obtained by using Ta, Mo or the like, which does not easily oxidize. With such a combination of materials, the baking temperature of the glass insulating layer can be secured and the organic solvent can be removed.

That is, the relationship between the melting temperature (Ta) or oxidation temperature (To) of the electrode and the insulating layer forming temperature (Tg) is
It is desirable to select an electrode material and an insulating layer material that satisfy Ta> Tg or To> Tg.

In the present invention (claim 2), the ion generation is performed on the insulating substrate between the ion generation electrode and the induction electrode and on the portion of the conductive conductive film on the side of the ion generation electrode. An insulating layer having a thickness equal to or greater than a distance between the electrode and the induction electrode is provided, and a thickness of the insulating layer on the ion generation electrode is equal to or less than a distance between the ion generation electrode and the induction electrode. Provide a generator.

Further, the present invention (claim 3) includes an insulating substrate, an ion generating electrode provided on the insulating substrate,
First for covering the insulating substrate and the ion generating electrode
And an insulating layer of the first insulating layer
An induction electrode whose surface is coated with a second insulating layer having a thickness of 1/10 or less of the thickness of the insulating layer, means for applying an alternating voltage between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, and the ion generating A means for applying a DC voltage to the counter electrode arranged opposite to the electrode and the induction electrode, applying an alternating voltage between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, and applying a DC voltage to the counter electrode. According to the present invention, there is provided an ion generating device characterized in that ions generated in the ion generating electrode by air discharge are made to fly to the counter electrode. In such an ion generator, the film thickness of the second insulating layer is preferably 1/10 to 1/40 of the film thickness of the first insulating layer.

[0023]

In the ion generator of the present invention (claim 1), an ion generating electrode having a surface coated with an insulating layer on an insulating substrate, and an ion generating electrode on both sides thereof at a predetermined distance. The induction electrode is provided at approximately the same level.
In this way, since the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode are provided at the same level, the structure is extremely simple and the manufacturing is easy. Moreover, since the surface of the ion generating electrode is covered with the insulating layer, the electrode is not worn.

In particular, when the insulating layer is made of a glass material for low temperature firing, since the internal organic solvent does not exist in the formed insulating layer, carbon precipitation due to ion bombardment does not occur, and therefore, The deterioration of the ion generator can be prevented. Further, since the insulating layer made of the glass material for low temperature firing is dense, the rise characteristics are not deteriorated due to the adsorption of water which occurs in the porous case.
Also, the wear critical energy of the induction electrode is 100 eV.
When the above electrode materials such as Nb, Ta, Mo, and Nb are used, electrode wear due to ion bombardment is eliminated, and the life of the ion generator can be greatly extended.

In addition, an insulating layer thicker than the distance between the two electrodes of the ion generating electrode is provided between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, which is a strong electric field region, and in the portion of the conductive conductive film on the side of the ion generating electrode. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of unwanted ions, and it is possible to suppress the amount of ozone generation to 0.02 ppm or less, which is the German environmental guidance standard.

Further, in the ion generating device having a step structure in which the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode are not at the same level, the thickness of the insulating layer covering the induction electrode is equal to the thickness of the insulating layer covering the ion generating electrode. By setting it to 1/10 or less, the surface potential generated on the insulating layer of the induction electrode can be set to 1/10 or less of the surface potential on the insulating layer of the ion generating electrode. The influence of the surface state of the layer is limited to the influence of the surface of the thick insulating layer on the ion generating electrode, and the ion generating electric field can be stabilized.

[0027]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a solidified ion generator 101 configured by thick film and thin film technology for improving the rising characteristics and the life according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an ion generating electrode 103 having a thickness of 1 μm or less is formed on a ceramic substrate 102 by using a thin film technique. The ceramic substrate 102 is of high purity and does not generate gas during firing of glass. As the ion generating electrode 103, it is preferable to use Au or the like that does not oxidize at the firing temperature (800 ° C. to 1000 ° C.) when forming the glass insulating layer 104.

To cover the ion generating electrode 103,
A glass insulating layer 104 having a thickness of 20 to 30 μm is formed.
The glass insulating layer 104 has a temperature of 800 ° C. to 1000 ° C.
A glass material that can be fired at a low temperature of ° C is used. In addition, an induction electrode 105 having a thickness of several thousand angstroms is provided on both sides of the ion generation electrode 103 and the ion generation electrodes 103 and 35.
It is formed by a thin film technique with an interval of μm. In order to prevent electrode wear due to ion bombardment,
A refractory metal material such as Nb, Ti or Ta having a critical energy of wear of 100 eV or more, which is higher than the energy of generated ions, is used.

By providing the induction electrodes 105 on both sides of the ion generating electrode 103, the electric field on the ion generating electrode 103 can be concentrated. Next, a driving method using the ion generator configured as above as a charger will be described.

First, the ion generating electrode 103 and the induction electrode 1
An AC voltage of 2.0 kV _pp is applied from the AC power supply 106 to the signal No. 05, and a DC bias voltage of −600 V is applied from the DC power supply 108 between the induction electrode 105 and the recording medium 107. As a result, the electric field concentration due to the AC voltage occurs around the glass insulating layer 104 on the ion generating electrode 103 protruding from the substrate 102, and the positive and negative ions 1
09 occurs. Of the generated ions, only negative ions 110 reach the recording medium 107 with a bias voltage, and the recording medium 107 is charged to a saturation potential of −600V.

Since no internal organic solvent is present in the glass insulating layer 104 made of the glass material for low temperature firing,
Carbon deposition due to ion bombardment does not occur, and therefore deterioration of the ion generator 101 can be prevented. Since the glass insulating layer 104 made of a glass material for low-temperature firing is dense, deterioration of rising characteristics due to water adsorption that occurs when it is porous does not occur. Further, by using an electrode material such as Nb, Ta, Mo, or Nb having a wear critical energy of 100 eV or more as the induction electrode 105, electrode wear due to ion impact is eliminated, and the life of the ion generator is extended to several hundred hours or more. You can

Embodiment 2 FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a solidified ion generator according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this ion generator, the high electric field region between the ion generating electrode 203 and the induction electrode 205 formed on the same substrate is covered with insulating layers 204a and 204b to prevent generation of unnecessary ions flying between the electrodes. The amount of ozone that accompanies the generation of ions is reduced. Further, since the strong electric field region is covered with the insulating layers 204a and 204b, electrode abrasion due to ion bombardment having high energy can be prevented.

FIG. 2A shows an example in which not only the ion generating electrode 203, but also both electrodes, and also a part of the induction electrode 205 are covered with the glass insulating layer 204a. That is, 99%
On the above high-purity ceramic substrate 202, a thickness of about 500
Au of 0 angstrom is uniformly deposited, and the width is about 50 μm.
m ion generating electrode 203 and an inductive electrode 204 provided on both sides of the ion generating electrode with a space of 35 μm.
Are formed by etching. Next, on the ion generating electrode 203, a portion of the induction electrode 205 corresponding to the distance between the two electrodes forming a strong electric field and the distance between the electrodes is covered with the glass insulating layer 2.
Coat with 04a.

For this glass insulating layer 204a, a low melting point glass having a firing temperature of about 900 ° C., which is lower than the melting point of Au, is used, and it is set to about 25 μm so as to prevent leakage of a strong electric field between the electrodes.
To the thickness of.

When the solidified ion generator configured as described above is used as a charger, 3.0 kV _pp is applied between the induction electrode 205 and the ion generation electrode 203 of the ion generator, as in the first embodiment. AC voltage is further applied, and a DC bias voltage of -600 V is applied between the induction electrode 205 and the recording medium to charge the recording medium to the bias voltage.

FIG. 2B shows an example in which the ion generating electrode 203 and the induction electrode 205 provided on the same plane are covered with a glass insulating layer 205 having a thickness of about 25 μm. By covering the high electric field region between both electrodes with the glass insulating layer 204b, it is possible to prevent the generation of high-energy ions, as in the example shown in FIG. It is possible to prevent the generation of unnecessary ions and reduce the amount of ozone generated.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an ion generator according to another embodiment in which the amount of ozone generated is further reduced and the ion generation efficiency is increased. In this ion generator, an Au material having a thickness of 1 μm or less is uniformly sputtered with an Au material on a 99% or more high-purity ceramic substrate 301 capable of preventing gas generation from the ceramic substrate during glass firing. Then, this is etched to form an ion generating electrode 302 having a width of 50 μm and induction electrodes 303 on both sides thereof with a space of 35 μm therebetween.

Next, the entire ion generating electrode 303, a part of the induction electrode 305, and the space between these electrodes are about 25 μm thick.
The glass insulating layer 304a having a firing temperature of about 980 ° C. is coated. Then, on a portion of the glass insulating layer 304a corresponding to a part of the induction electrode 305 and a high electric field region between the electrodes,
The glass insulating layer 304b that is fired at 830 ° C. has a thickness of 15 μm.
Cover to the above thickness.

The AC voltage and the bias voltage shown in the first embodiment are applied to the ion generator thus constructed to charge the recording medium. As a result, the cross-sectional electric field distribution 306 on the glass insulating layer 304a of this ion generator becomes maximum at the center of the ion generating electrode 303. The lines of electric force 307 near the induction electrode 305 covered with the thick glass insulating layers 304a and 304b are closed in the glass insulating layer, and the electric field sharply decreases on the glass insulating layer. As a result, unnecessary ions are not generated near the induction electrode 305, and ozone generation can be further reduced. In the conventional solidified ion generator, the ion trajectory is bent by the electric field, and the ion beam spreads when it reaches the counter electrode, but in the ion generator according to the present embodiment, the ion trajectory 308 is focused. Therefore, the use efficiency of the generated ions is improved.

As described above, in the conventional ion generator, the amount of ions not used for recording occupies nearly 90% of the whole. Since the usage efficiency is improved,
It is possible to reduce the amount of ozone generation that occurs with the generation of ions to 1/4 or less. As a result, the amount of ozone generated can be suppressed to 0.01 ppm or less, which is the European guidance standard. Further, in the conventional solidified ion generator, ion abrasion due to high energy caused electrode wear and deterioration of the glass insulating layer.However, in the ion generator according to this example, electrode wear and deterioration of the glass insulating layer were eliminated. The life of the solid-state ion generator can be improved to nearly 1000 hours.

Embodiment 4 FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are sectional views showing two examples of a solidified ion generator according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In these solidified ion generators, the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode are not on the same plane and are formed at different levels, unlike the above-described embodiments. However, even with these solidified ion generators, it is possible to prevent electrode abrasion and stably generate ions.

In the example shown in FIG. 4A, as the ceramic substrate 401, 90% or more dense high-purity material is used in order to prevent gas generation from the substrate during glass firing. An ion generating electrode 402 is formed on top. The ion generating electrode 402 is made of an Au material to prevent oxidation during firing of the glass insulating layer,
The thickness is thousands of Angstroms.

Next, a glass insulating layer 403 having a thickness of 20 to 40 μm is provided by firing at about 380 ° C. An induction electrode 404 made of a refractory metal such as Nb is provided on the glass insulating layer 403 to have a thickness of several thousand angstroms. On this induction electrode 404, 1 / thickness of the glass insulating layer 403
SiO ₂ film 405 having a thickness of ₂ to 4 μm that is 10 or less
To provide a solid-state ion generator.

FIG. 4 (b) shows another example of the solidified ion generator for further improving the stability. 90% polished surface
On the above high-purity ceramic substrate 401, an Au material or the like that is hard to oxidize is uniformly formed in a thickness of about 3000 angstroms by a sputter thin film technique. This Au layer is etched to form an ion generating electrode 406 having a width of 50 μm.

A glass insulating layer 407 having a baking temperature of about 980 ° C. is provided on the ion generating electrode 406 to a thickness of about 35 μm. Further, an induction electrode 408 made of an arbitrary metal material is provided on the glass insulating layer 407 to a thickness of several thousand angstroms, and a thickness which is 1/10 or less of the thickness of the glass insulation layer 407 is provided on the induction electrode 408. A SiO ₂ film 409 having a thickness of ₂ to 4 μm or less is formed.

The two ion generators mentioned above are driven by
A frequency of 50 kHz between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode,
It is performed by applying an AC voltage of 2.5 kV _pp and applying a bias voltage of -600 V with the recording medium. At this time, the surface potential generated on the glass insulating layer of the induction electrode at the time of ion generation is 1/10 or less of the surface potential of the glass insulating layer of the ion generating electrode. When the glass insulating layer has the same thickness, the surface potential gradient generated at the time of generating ions in the glass insulating layer between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode becomes the peak-to-peak value of the AC voltage for ion generation.
In the example shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, this value is close to the peak value, and it is possible to suppress the electric field fluctuation due to the surface deterioration of the glass insulating layer. Further, by covering the electrode with the insulating layer, there is no direct electron emission from the electrode in a high electric field, and it is possible to prevent generation of unnecessary ions. Further, electrode abrasion due to ion bombardment is prevented, and the life of the glass insulating layer on the ion generating electrode is improved.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the structure is such that an ion generating electrode whose surface is covered with an insulating layer and an induction electrode are provided on both sides of the insulating substrate at a predetermined interval and at substantially the same level as the ion generating electrode. , Its structure is extremely simple and easy to manufacture. Moreover, since the surface of the ion generating electrode is covered with the insulating layer, the electrode is not worn.

In particular, by providing an insulating layer thicker than the surface of the ion generating electrode between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, which is a strong electric field region, and in the part of the conductive film on the side of the ion generating electrode, unnecessary. It is possible to prevent the generation of ions, and it is possible to suppress the amount of ozone generation to 0.02 ppm or less, which is the German environmental guidance standard.

Further, in the ion generating device having a step structure in which the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode are not at the same level, the thickness of the insulating layer covering the induction electrode is equal to the thickness of the insulating layer covering the ion generating electrode. By setting it to 1/10 or less, the surface potential generated on the insulating layer of the induction electrode can be set to 1/10 or less of the surface potential on the insulating layer of the ion generating electrode. The influence of the surface state of the layer is limited to the influence of the surface of the thick insulating layer on the ion generating electrode, and the ion generating electric field can be stabilized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a solidified ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a solidified ion generator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a solidified ion generator for reducing ozone generation amount according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a solidified ion generator according to still another embodiment of the present invention, in which electrode wear is prevented and life is improved.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional solidified ion generator.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 ... Solid-state ion generator 102, 202, 301, 401 ... Ceramic substrate 103, 203, 302, 402, 406 ... Ion generation electrode 105, 205, 303, 404, 504 ... Induction electrode 106 ... AC power supply 108 ... Bias power supply 107 ... Recording medium

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An insulating substrate, an ion generating electrode provided on the insulating substrate and having a surface coated with an insulating layer, and the ion generating electrode on the insulating substrate at substantially the same level as the ion generating electrode. Induction electrodes provided on both sides of the generation electrode at a predetermined distance, means for applying an alternating voltage between the ion generation electrode and the induction electrode, and a counter arranged so as to face the ion generation electrode and the induction electrode. A means for applying a direct current voltage to the electrode, an alternating voltage is applied between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, and a direct current voltage is applied to the counter electrode to generate in the ion generating electrode by air discharge. An ion generator, wherein the generated ions are caused to fly to the counter electrode. 2. The distance between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode is equal to or more than the distance between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode on the insulating substrate and on the portion of the conductive conductive film on the ion generation electrode side. The ion generator according to claim 1, wherein an insulating layer having a thickness is provided, and the thickness of the insulating layer on the ion generating electrode is equal to or less than a distance between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode. 3. An insulating substrate, an ion generating electrode provided on the insulating substrate, a first insulating layer covering the insulating substrate and the ion generating electrode, and on the first insulating layer. Which is provided at 1/10 of the film thickness of the first insulating layer.
An induction electrode whose surface is coated with a second insulating layer having the following film thickness, a means for applying an alternating voltage between the ion generation electrode and the induction electrode, and a device arranged to face the ion generation electrode and the induction electrode. Means for applying a direct current voltage to the counter electrode, applying an alternating voltage between the ion generating electrode and the induction electrode, and applying a direct current voltage to the counter electrode to discharge the ion generating electrode by air discharge. An ion generating device characterized in that the ions generated in 1 are caused to fly to the counter electrode.