JPH10125445A - Discharge needle unit for ion generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a discharge needle unit in which a user can perform discharge needle replacement and cleaning easily without breakage of the discharge needle. SOLUTION: A discharge needle unit 1 for ion generating device is composed of an ion generating discharge needle 2, an insulator pipe 3 enveloping the discharge needle 2, and a discharge needle connector 4 attached to the insulator pipe 3. The discharge needle connector 4 fixes the discharge needle 2, is mounted on a connector provided with a discharge bar, and the discharge needle 2 and a power source provided outside to apply an electric voltage to the discharge needle 2 are electrically connected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a discharge needle unit of an ion generator used in a clean room or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when an object is charged, fine particles in the air are electrostatically adsorbed. Therefore, in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor such as an LSI, in order to prevent the above-mentioned fine particles from adhering to the wafer surface, static electricity is removed from the wafer and the entire clean room using an ion generator.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional ion generator. The ion generator includes a discharge needle 101 for generating ions.
And a power supply 103 for applying a positive or negative voltage to the discharge needle 101.

[0004] The discharge bar 102 is disposed in a clean air blowing hole such as a ceiling of a clean room. Power supply 1
When a positive or negative high voltage is applied to the discharge needle 101 by 03, negative or positive ions are generated at the tip of the discharge needle 101. The ions are carried by the blown clean air and collide with a wafer or the like (not shown). As a result, the wafer and the like are electrically neutralized. Here, it is necessary that positive ions and negative ions continue to be generated from one discharge bar 102 in equal amounts. If the amount of generated positive and negative ions is different, the positive and negative ions will not be neutralized, and the inside of the clean room will be positively or negatively charged due to long-term integration. Is no longer possible. Therefore, the number of discharge needles 101a that generate positive ions of the discharge bar 102 and the number of discharge needles 101b that generate negative ions are set to be equal.

The discharge needles 101 are made of polysilicon or the like, which is the same material as the wafer. This is because the tip of the discharge needle 101 is gradually scattered due to the sputtering phenomenon caused by the generation of ions, so that if the discharge needle 101 is made of a material different from that of the wafer, impurities are mixed into the wafer. The discharge needle 101 is directly inserted into a pin connector (not shown) provided on the discharge bar 102.

[0006]

However, the conventional ion generator has the following disadvantages. Discharge needle 10
1. Discharge bar 10 for replacement or cleaning
2 or when the discharge needle 101 is
When cleaning with the unit attached to the
Since 01 is made of a hard and brittle material such as polysilicon, it often breaks. In addition, when broken, a part of the discharge needle that was broken and remained in the pin connector could not be easily removed. In this state, as described above, the balance between the generation of positive ions and negative ions is lost, so that the ion generator could not be used. Therefore, the user could not cope, and the manufacturer had to take off the device, disassemble the discharge bar 102, and remove a part of the discharge needle. Both the user and the manufacturer took time.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a discharge needle unit that allows a user to easily replace or clean the discharge needle without breaking the discharge needle.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discharge needle for generating ions, an insulator pipe surrounding the discharge needle, and a discharge needle fixed to the insulator pipe. In a discharge needle unit for an ion generator configured from a discharge needle connector, the discharge needle connector fixes the discharge needle, is attached to a connector provided on a discharge bar, and has a discharge needle and a voltage applied to the discharge needle. Is electrically connected to a power supply provided externally to apply the voltage.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the discharge needle unit for an ion generator according to the first aspect, the distal end of the discharge needle is retracted from the distal end of the insulating pipe toward the discharge needle connector. It is characterized by being arranged in a position.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the discharge needle unit 1
It comprises a discharge needle 2, an insulator pipe 3 surrounding the discharge needle 2, and a discharge needle connector 4 having a structure in which a round bar is machined to have a different diameter along the axial direction. The discharge needle 2 is fitted into a hollow cylindrical portion of the discharge needle connector 4. The discharge needle connector 4
It is fixed inside the insulator pipe 3.

The distal end of the discharge needle 2 is preferably disposed so as to be retracted in the direction of the discharge needle connector 4 from the tip 3a of the insulating pipe 3. This is for protecting the tip of the discharge needle 2.

The operation of the insulator pipe 3 is as follows. The absorption of ions generated by the discharge needle 2 into the insulating pipe 3 is significantly reduced. Because, when ions adhere to the insulator pipe, the potential of that part increases,
This is because the portion will repel ions in the future. In addition, there is no movement of the ions attached to the insulator pipe 3, and the ions do not continue to be absorbed by the insulator pipe 3. An elliptical window 3b is opened in four places of the pipe portion of the insulator pipe 3 surrounding the tip of the discharge needle 2. The window 3b is provided for efficiently transporting ions generated from the discharge needle 2 by clean air. Further, the insulator pipe 3 facilitates handling when the discharge needle unit 1 is handled.

The discharge needle connector 4 is made of a hard and strong conductor such as stainless steel. The discharge needle connector 4
It plays a role of attaching and detaching the discharge needle unit 1 to and from a pin connector (not shown) provided on the discharge bar. Also,
The discharge needle connector 4 also serves to electrically connect the discharge needle 2 and a power supply (not shown) provided outside for applying a voltage to the discharge needle 2.

In this embodiment, the discharge needle connector 4
Is a pin shape, and the pin connector provided on the discharge bar has a concave shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the discharge connector 4 may be a concave pin connector and pins may be provided on the discharge bar. It is possible.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing a state where the discharge needle unit 1 according to the embodiment is attached to the discharge bar 5.
(A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. The operation method is the same as that of the above-described related art.

[0016]

As described above, according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, since the discharge needle is not directly inserted into or removed from the discharge bar, the discharge needle hardly breaks. Since the discharge needle connector can be made of a hard and strong material,
When the discharge needle unit is removed from the discharge bar, the discharge connector does not break. Therefore, the user can safely replace the discharge needle unit or clean the discharge needle. In the event that the discharge needle is broken due to cleaning of the discharge needle or the like, the entire discharge needle unit may be replaced, and the user can easily deal with it.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the discharge needle can be protected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a discharge bar.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional ion generator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Discharge needle unit 2 Discharge needle 3 Insulator pipe 3a Tip 3b Window 4 Discharge needle connector

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A discharge needle unit for an ion generator, comprising: a discharge needle for generating ions; an insulator pipe surrounding the discharge needle; and a discharge needle connector fixed to the insulator pipe. The connector fixes the discharge needle, is attached to the connector provided on the discharge bar, and electrically connects the discharge needle and a power supply provided outside for applying a voltage to the discharge needle. A discharge needle unit for an ion generator. 2. The discharge needle unit for an ion generator according to claim 1, wherein a tip end of the discharge needle is disposed so as to be retracted from a tip end of the insulator pipe toward the discharge needle connector. Characteristic discharge needle unit for ion generator.