ESD On-Wafer Characterization: Is TLP Still the Right Measurement Tool?

The electrical characterization of devices and circuits regarding their electrostatic discharge (ESD) robustness is done by using several measurement tools. Transmission line pulsing (TLP) and human body model (HBM) testing are the commonly used methods. In this paper, TLP and HBM on-wafer setups are presented regarding their electrical schematics, the type of data that is obtained, and the required calibration methodologies. By using three case studies, both test methods are compared by showing their advantages and disadvantages. It is demonstrated that pulsed measurement methods like TLP testing are not always a suitable tool to fully assess the ESD performance of devices or circuits.