Patent ID: 7119597

Claim:
An apparatus to generate a voltage pulse for testing an electronic device susceptible to electrostatic discharge, the apparatus comprising: a power source operable to generate a voltage signal; an energy storage device operable to receive the voltage signal through a first switch device, the first switch device being operated to selectively couple the power source to the energy storage device; a second switch device operable to couple the energy storage device to the electronic device, the second switch device supporting transfer of energy from the energy storage device to produce the voltage pulse for testing an electrostatic discharge protection circuit of the electronic device; the first and second switch devices limiting a residual voltage component present in the voltage pulse after an initial discharge of energy stored in the energy storage device through the electrostatic discharge protection circuit, the residual voltage component being at a level low enough to result in substantial deactivation of the electrostatic discharge protection circuit of the electronic device to avoid damage; and wherein the power source, the first switch device, the second switch device, and the energy storage device are operable in combination to generate the voltage pulse, said voltage pulse including a residual voltage component superimposed on a substantially exponential decay voltage component, the residual voltage component being below a predetermined threshold value based on characteristics of the first switch device.