Questions And Answers

According to the ESD Association, ESD items are getting more sensitive. 

See ESD Association’s October 2002 White Paper “ESD Phenomena and

the Reliability for Microelectronics” at www.ESDA.org

LIMITATIONS AND TRENDS

“Technology trends towards finer line widths and higher speeds are producing devices of ever-increasing ESD sensitivities (Class 0) and Charged Device Model (CDM) mitigation is becoming more challenging.”

FACTORY ESD CONTROL PROGRAM IS CRITICAL

“The most critical aspect, is that basic factory control of ESD, rather than on-chip design techniques, is the most effective manner in which IC reliability and process yields can be maintained and ensured. Factory Control is the primary reason for lack of field returns for products operating well below the currently recommended ESD levels. The full supporting data and arguments for this position will be contained in the Industry Council's White Paper to be published by August 2007.”

See Industry Council on ESD at http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1166103.

“The age of electronics brought with it new problems associated with static electricity and electrostatic discharge. And, as electronic devices became faster and smaller, their sensitivity to ESD increased. Today, ESD impacts productivity and product reliability in virtually every aspect of today's electronics environment. Industry experts have estimated average product losses due to static to range [up to] 33%. Others estimate the actual cost of ESD damage to the electronics industry as running into the billions of dollars annually.”

“Despite a great deal of effort during the past decade, ESD still affects production yields, manufacturing costs, product quality, product reliability, and profitability. Industry experts have estimated average product losses due to static to range from 8-33%. Others estimate the actual cost of ESD damage to the electronics industry as running into the billions of dollars annually. The cost of damaged devices themselves ranges from only a few cents for a simple diode to several hundred dollars for complex hybrids. When associated costs of repair and rework, shipping, labor, and overhead are included, clearly the opportunities exist for significant improvements.” From ESD Association web site at http://www.esda.org/.