Real-world charged board model (CBM) failures

ICs that are robust to ESD at the component-level may be damaged by ESD at the board-level. Two case studies show that real-world Charged Board Model (CBM) ESD damage is typically more severe than HBM or CDM damage. Consequently, CBM damage can be easily mistaken for EOS damage. A high-capacitance yet compact PCB evaluation board facilitates qualitative CBM testing using conventional CDM test systems. Based on the case studies and CBM test results, guidelines are provided on how to minimize the likelihood of real-world CBM failures.