How electro-static charges cause damage – Teledyne 9110TH - Nitrogen Oxides Analyzer User Manual
Page 322

Model 9110TH NOx Analyzer
ESD Primer
Teledyne Analytical Instruments
302
Table 9-1: Static Generation Voltages for Typical Activities
MEANS OF GENERATION
65-90% RH
10-25% RH
Walking across nylon carpet
1,500V
35,000V
Walking across vinyl tile
250V
12,000V
Worker at bench
100V
6,000V
Poly bag picked up from bench
1,200V
20,000V
Moving around in a chair padded
with urethane foam
1,500V 18,000V
9.2. HOW ELECTRO-STATIC CHARGES CAUSE DAMAGE
Damage to components occurs when these static charges come into contact with an
electronic device. Current flows as the charge moves along the conductive circuitry of
the device and the typically very high voltage levels of the charge overheat the delicate
traces of the integrated circuits, melting them or even vaporizing parts of them. When
examined by microscope the damage caused by electro-static discharge looks a lot like
tiny bomb craters littered across the landscape of the component’s circuitry.
A quick comparison of the values in Table 9-1 with the those shown in the Table 9-2,
listing device susceptibility levels, shows why Semiconductor Reliability News estimates
that approximately 60% of device failures are the result of damage due to electro-static
discharge.
Table 9-2: Sensitivity of Electronic Devices to Damage by ESD
DEVICE
DAMAGE SUSCEPTIBILITY VOLTAGE
RANGE
DAMAGE BEGINS
OCCURRING AT
CATASTROPHIC
DAMAGE AT
MOSFET 10
100
VMOS 30
1800
NMOS 60
100
GaAsFET 60
2000
EPROM 100
100
JFET 140
7000
SAW 150
500
Op-AMP 190
2500
CMOS 200
3000
Schottky Diodes
300
2500
Film Resistors
300
3000
This Film Resistors
300
7000
ECL 500
500
SCR 500
1000
Schottky TTL
500
2500
Potentially damaging electro-static discharges can occur:
Any time a charged surface (including the human body) discharges to a
device. Even simple contact of a finger to the leads of a sensitive device or
assembly can allow enough discharge to cause damage. A similar discharge