Many are susceptible at less than 100 volts, and many disk drive components have sensitivities below 10 volts. Current trends in product design and development pack more circuitry onto these miniature devices, further increasing their sensitivity to ESD and making the potential problem even more acute. Table 4 indicates the ESD sensitivity of various types of components. In this introductory article on electrostatic discharge, we have discussed the basics of electrostatic charge, discharge, types of failures, ESD events, and device sensitivity. The level of charge is affected by material type, speed of contact and separation, humidity, and several other factors.
Electrostatic discharge can create catastrophic or latent failures in electronic components.
Electrostatic discharge can occur throughout the manufacturing, test, shipping, handling, or operational processes. Component damage can occur as the result of a discharge from the component as well as a direct discharge to the component. Armed with this information, you can then begin to develop an effective ESD control program. In Part Two we will focus on some basic concepts of ESD control.