Electrostatic Damage Susceptibility of Semiconductor Devices

Various semiconductor devices were tested for susceptibility to electrostatic discharge (ESD). A circuit similar to the ESD test circuit described in Military Specification MIL-M-38510 slash sheets was used for testing. Devices were also subjected to ESD levels equivalent to 75 percent of the device ESD degradation threshold and then burned-in to see if low-level ESD affects device reliability in system use. A ranking of devices in terms of ESD susceptibility and failure rate during burn-in is provided.