An overview of ESD process control problems

The problems of applying procedures and measurement methods for the control of electrostatic discharge (ESD) are identified for the implementation or improvement of an ESD control program. Adherence to military, industrial, and in-house ESD requirements is difficult because of diverse electrostatic charge sources, erroneous tests, and unknown sensitivities of devices in various configurations due to the inadequacies of the sensitivity classification method (i.e. human body model test). This complicated situation is analyzed to determine ESD procedures and packaging protection limitations. Improved procedures and protection result from considering sensitive devices to be of two distinct classes-voltage sensitive or energy sensitive.<>