A new ESD model: The Charged Strip Model

Microelectronics packaging and testing are increasingly being conducted on devices in strip form. Once charged, strips may discharge through a pin on one IC. The resulting damage is simulated by a new ESD test method: the Charged Strip Model (CSM). CSM withstand voltages are inversely proportional to strip capacitances. Thus, IC´s that are immune to Charged Device Model (CDM) damage may be susceptible to CSM damage. Since CSM discharge events may have far more energy than other real-world ESD events, CSM damage can be easily mistaken for EOS damage. CSM damage can be minimized via appropriate strip designs and actions to minimize strip charging during manufacturing.