ADA4530-1R-EBZ User Guide

UG-865

Rev. 0 | Page 5 of 14

CLEANING AND HANDLING

It is important to always handle the board by the edges and

never touch the area within SHIELD1.

Before using the board, properly clean the evaluation board to

remove any contaminants, such as solder flux, saline moisture,

dirt, and dust, to maintain its low leakage performance. Any

contaminants can severely degrade its femtoampere performance.

The board must also be cleaned again after any rework to the

components.

An effective cleaning procedure consists of the following steps:

1.

Soak the board in an ultrasonic bath with cleanroom grade

isopropyl alcohol for 15 minutes. Ultrasonic cleaning uses

ultrasound at a high frequency, creating cavitation in the

cleaning solution. This process helps to remove contami-

nants on the surface of the board and in areas under

soldered components that are hard to reach. The next

cleaning steps require using fresh isopropyl alcohol.

2.

Remove the board from the ultrasonic bath with a pair of

forceps. Rinse and flush the board with isopropyl alcohol

to remove any contaminant residue.

3.

Flood the board with isopropyl alcohol and gently scrub

it with an acid brush. Concentrate on areas between the

U1 pins, the input traces to J1, the guard ring, and the area

within SHIELD1.

4.

Rinse and flush the board with isopropyl alcohol.

5.

Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 for the bottom of the board.

6.

Give a final flush for the top and bottom of the board with

isopropyl alcohol.

7.

Use compressed dry air to dry the board. Blow air around

the U1 pins, the input traces to J1, and the guard ring area.

Be sure to direct the compressed air under J1 and U1 as well.

8.

To make sure that the board is completely dry, bake the

board in the oven at 125°C for 15 minutes.

9.

After cleaning, remember to place the cover of the metal

shield on both sides of the board. The metal shields help

prevent any contact to the guarded area.