ESD Basics for the Program Manager

This tutorial provides the foundation material for understanding electrostatics and ESD and their role in the manufacturing and handling of ESD sensitive devices. The fundamental properties of charge, electric fields, voltage, capacitance, and current are discussed with a view towards understanding key electrostatic phenomena and electrical processes. These include charge generation and decay, material properties, and induction. An overview of device failure mechanisms is presented, including how these models impact ESD control programs. Finally, the course provides an overview of ESD control procedures during handling and manufacturing and an overview of ANSI/ESD S20.20 program requirements. This full day course is required for those in-plant auditors and program managers who are working toward professional ESD certification. The presentation includes many in-class demonstrations, videos, and animated slides.

Some sample topics covered in this course are:

• Definitions and relationships among important electrical and mechanical properties
• Causes of charge generation and decay
• Field effects and voltages
• Role of capacitance in ESD (Q=CV)
• Overview of key measurements including common pitfalls of some measurements
• Review of ESD failure models
• Understanding and demonstrating electrostatic induction
• Utility and limitations of air ionization
• Basic goals of ESD controls
• Properties of effective ESD control products and materials
• Overview of ANSI/ESD S20.20 ESD program development requirements