ESD BOOK

PROTECTION FROM
ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGES
IN THE ELECTRONIC
ENVIRONMENTS

ec o ISO 9001
CERTIFIED
2004 edition
 PREFACE
This publication is intended to help users in understanding and prevent the
Electrostatic Discharges Phenomena, it is not a substitute for reference to the ESD
or Safety Standards
The information given in this ESD BOOK is based on CEI/IEC 61340-5-1: 1998 and
CEI/IEC 61340-5-2/TS:1999 published by the International Electrotechnical
Commission, 3, rue de Varambe, Geneva, Switzerland. http://www.iec.ch.

It is recommended to buy the IEC 61340-5-1

Technical Report and IEC 61340-5-2 Technical
Specification, or their national versions, as IEC
documents, they have world-wide applicability .

STANDARDS
IEC 61340-5-1 Protection of electronic devices from electrostatic
phenomena - General requirements (1999)
IEC 61340-5-2 Protection of electronic devices from electrostatic
phenomena - User Guide (1999)

IEC 61340-4-1 Electrical resistance of floor coverings and installed floors

ANSI/ESD S20.20-1999 Protection of Electrical and Electronic Parts, Assemblies

and Equipment USA 1999 (download free in pdf
format, source www.esda.org )

ANSI/ESD S541-2003 Packaging Materials for ESD Sensitive Items USA -

2003 (download free in pdf format, source
www.esda.org )

page 2 ESDBOOK
 e x
d ESD BOOK
In
PROTECTION FROM ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGES IN THE ELECTRONIC
ENVIRONMENTS

CONTENTS

References Standards 2
What is ESD ? 4
ESD damage 5
Material classification 6
ESD protections 7
Labels 8
Signs 9
Grounding: wrist-straps, foot grounders 10
Grounding: garments, gloves, chairs 11
EPA ESD protected area 12
Typical Workstation 13
Monitoring 14
Monitoring 15
In Field working, tools 16
Safety 17
Handling 18
Carts and Shelving 19
Packaging General 20
Packaging - Bags 21
Flooring 22 - 23
Humidity Control - Ionization 24
Ionization 25
Testing 26
Testing 27
Testing 28
Testing 29
Training - Visitors 30
Check list 31

ESDBOOK page 3
 Electro Static Discharge
ESD what is it ?
Electrostatic discharge is defined as the transfer of charge between bodies at
different electrical potentials. The electrostatic charge occurs when two different
materials rub or slide together or are separated.
Examples are :

- walking over synthetic floors

- rubbing of synthetic garments
- shifting of plastic boxes
- unrolling of PVC adhesive tape
- moving of conveyor belt

Static electricity can build up high voltages in modern operating environments -

over 10kV is not uncommon, and with related humidity lower than 20%, over 30 kV
has been recorded.

- -
When two objects with different charges - - -
- -
get closer, electrons can suddenly flow - - -
from one object to the other.

+ +
+ + ++ +
+ +
+ +

ESD can also occur when a high

electric field develops between two
objects in close proximity.

CMOS

page 4 ESDBOOK
 higher costs
D ESD can results in :
ES
lower quality
unhappy customers

Many of the common activities may generate charges harmful to components

STATIC GENERATION TYPICAL VOLTAGE LEVELS

Means of generation 10-25% RH 65-90% RH

Walking across carpet 35,000 Volt 1,500 Volt

Walking across vinyl tile 12,000 Volt 250 Volt

Worker at bench 6,000 Volt 100 Volt

Poly bag picked up from bench 20,000 Volt 1,200 Volt

Chair with urethane foam 18,000 Volt 1,500 Volt

DEVICE TYPE ESD SUSCEPTIBILITY DEVICE TYPE ESD SUSCEPTIBILITY

VMOS 30 - 1,800 Volt CMOS 250 - 3,000 Volt

MOSFET 100 - 200 Volt OP-AMP 190 - 2,500 Volt

GaAsFET 100 - 300 Volt BI-POLAR TRANSISTORS 380 - 7,000 Volt

EPROM 100 Volt SCHOTTKY DIODES 300 - 2,500 Volt

JFET 140 - 7,000 Volt SCHOTTKY TTL 1000 - 2,500 Volt

Limited cost
Catastrophic in-house failure It is the easiest type of ESD
damage normally detected
during testing
ESD DAMAGE COST LEVELS
Higher cost due to:
- customer support
Latent failure
- servicing facility
- replacement equipment
- loss of reputation
- loss of customers

ESDBOOK page 5
 ls
e ria For ESD purposes, many materials are classified by their

at
resistance or resistivity characteristics.

M
SURFACE RESISTANCE W

Conductive
materials Static-dissipative Insulative
SHIELDING materials materials
materials
103 105 1012

Surface resistance measurements are not always appropriate to establish the

effectiveness of the materials, where resistance is higher than 1x1010 W, or where
the material is of non-homogeneous woven it is mandatory to measure the decay
time of the generated charge

ELECTROSTATIC SHIELDING MATERIALS

providing a Faraday cage protection, limit the passage of current and attenuate the
energy resulting from an electrostatic discharge. Most static shielding materials
include a conductive (less than 1x103 W) metal or carbon element that suppresses
the field, attenuates, or reflects field energy.

CONDUCTIVE MATERIALS
characterised by a low electrical resistance (less than 1x105 W), allow the charge
to quickly distribute itself throughout the material.
If the conductive material is connected to ground , all charge will flow away.
Some examples of conductors are metals, carbon and the human body's sweat
layer.

STATIC-DISSIPATIVE MATERIALS
are defined as those having a surface resistance greater than 1 x 105 W but less
than 1 x 1012 W.
Charges will flow to ground slower than with conductive materials, reducing its
destroying potential.

INSULATIVE MATERIALS
are defined as those having a surface resistance of at least 1 x 1012 W.
Insulative materials have a high electrical resistance and are difficult to ground.
Static charges remain in place on these materials for a very long time.
This property make insulators a hazard that must be controlled as part of an
ESD program.
Some examples of insulators are common plastics, glass and air.

page 6 ESDBOOK
 o ls
tr
on
ESD DAMAGE CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME:

C GOODS INPUT
ACCEPTANCE
PRODUCTION
ASSEMBLY
TESTING
STORING
PACKING
SHIPPING
MAINTENANCE

BASIC ESD CONTROLS

GROUNDING
SHIELDING
NEUTRALIZATION (ionizers)

Four gold rules

1 - Assume that all active components are sensitive to ESD

2 - 1 Handle electronic components only in the ESD protected area (EPA)

and only when you are properly grounded.

3 - Store and transport the ESD-sensitive items in ESD protective containers.

4 -Check regularly the ESD protection system, internal and external (suppliers)

Take in evidence the principle 'No Charge/No discharge' , the elimination of charge
build-up is obtained by using conductive and dissipative materials that have less
tendency to generate static charges.
All equipment must be free of moving parts that may generate charges, e.g., rubber
rollers, plastic stoppers, etc.
Things which the devices may come in contact with or get transported on must also be
antistatic or conductive.
The use of ionizers to neutralize newly generated charges will also prevent charge
build-up.
The minimization of movements in the work area, as well the use of ESD-safe
equipment, will help in minimizing static charges generated by personnel.

ESDBOOK page 7
 l s
be
La
BASIC SYMBOL

The basic symbol consists of a yellow hand within

a black triangle. It is intended to identify devices
and assemblies which are ESD sensitive.

min. 4mm PROTECTION SYMBOL

Used to designate all ESD protective products

such as bags, boxes, garments.
A letter is added under the symbol to indicate the
primary function:

* C conductive
D dissipative
* S
L
shielding
low charging
EPA LABEL

Used to designate EPA equipments such as

tables, trolleys, chairs .

EPA

ATTENTION
OBSERVE PRECAUTIONS
FOR HANDLING
ELECTROSTATIC
EARTH
DISCHARGE
SENSITIVE DEVICES

min. 4mm
BONDING POINT

ESD CAUTIONARY SYMBOL EARTH BONDING POINT (EBP)

page 8 ESDBOOK
 ns
The signs are designed to attract attention and deliver a clear
message to personnel and visitors before they enter the EPA.
g
Si
Where high voltages greater than 250VAC or 500VDC are
present, use proper warning signs.

EPA WARNING SIGN

ATTENTION
ESD PROTECTED AREA
OBSERVE
PRECAUTIONS FOR
HANDLING
ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE
SENSITIVE DEVICES

EPA WHICH CONTAIN HIGH VOLTAGE

ATTENTION
HIGH VOLTAGE
ESD PROTECTED AREA
OBSERVE
PRECAUTIONS FOR
HANDLING
ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE
SENSITIVE DEVICES

EPA EXIT SIGN

ATTENTION
YOU ARE LEAVING
THE EPA

ESDBOOK page 9
 n g
n di
u
G ro people are the primary source of electrostatic charges

The elimination of charge build-up is obtained by using conductive and dissipative

materials that have less tendency to generate static charges.
Grounding systems shall be used to ensure that components, personnel and any
other conductors are at the same electrical potential.
For proper and safe grounding the ESD ground must be tied directly to and at the
same potential as the building or green/yellow ground.

PERSONNEL GROUNDING DEVICES

The wrist strap is the most used device to

ground personnel, it will safely and
effectively drain static charges from the
body.

Earth Bonding Point

1M W 1MW 1MW

Someone offers ESD Wrist straps EBP

without cord (cordless), we can (earth bonding point)
assure that are ineffective.
Earth

In some locations, such as stores and

around equipment, conductive shoes or
foot grounders are used.
Foot grounders should be worn on both
feet to ensure constant contact to ground
floor or floor mat.
Foot grounders will not function properly if
used on surfaces which are insulative or
improperly grounded.

Earth

page 10 ESDBOOK
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u
Gro Garments

The main purpose for wearing conductive

smocks is to suppress static fields on employee
clothing.
The conductive fibers woven into the material
provide a Faraday cage that prevents
dangerous fields from extending to and
damaging sensitive products.
There shall be electrical conductivity between
all parts of the garment.

Gloves

ESD sensitive device can experience a

damaging discharge if touched by a person,
even if that person is properly grounded.
Increasing the electrical path's contact
resistance is one way to control the speed of
the discharge.
A good way to accomplish this is by wearing
static dissipative cots and gloves.

Chairs

The resistance to ground from any part of the

seat which may have contact with personnel,
must be less than 1x1010W.
At least two castors or feet must provide a
path to ground.

ESDBOOK page 11
 r ea An EPA (ESD Protected Area) is a defined space where no
A
A items or activity are able to cause damage to a sensitive device.

EP
In the simplest case - a field work station - it may consist of a
dissipative mat, a wrist strap and common grounding facility for
both.

MAXIMUM ALLOWED
ELECTROSTATIC FIELD:
100V/cm

17
4 3 12
7
13 6 18

16
9
EPA

14

5 11

15
1 10
8

1 Groundable castors 11 Toe and heel strap (footwear)

2 Groundable surface 12 Ionizer
3 Wrist-strap tester 13 Static-dissipative working
4 Footwear tester surface
5 Footwear foot plate 14 Seat with groundable
6 Wrist cord and wrist band feet and pads
7 Ground cord 15 Static-dissipative floor
8 Ground 16 Low charging garments
9 Earth bonding point (EBP) 17 Shelvings with grounded
10 Groundable point of trolley surfaces
18 EPA sign

page 12 ESDBOOK
 io n
a t
s t
rk
TYPICAL WORKSTATION

Wo It is important that each bench, or work surface, is covered with the proper
ESD material and properly connected to earth using a system of cords and
Earth Bonding Points (EBPs)

Wriststrarp with coiled cord,

ATT
ENTIO
TED
N
ARE
A
1MW built-in
TEC E
PRO OBSEORNVS FOR
ESD ECAUTI LING C
D TI
PR HAN OSTA
CTR GE ES
ELEISCHAR EVIC
D E D
SITIV
SEN

Earth Bonding Point

1MW 1M
W 1M W

EBP

Dissipative Earth
footwear When using this
type of grounding
method be sure that
the total resistance
"hand to earth" is
lower than
3.5x107W.

Ground all solder-

Dissipative flooring ing iron tips.
connected to the EBP
(Earth Bonding Point) Rg max 1x107W

Remove all extraneous materials from the workstation (food, beverages,

combs, bags, clothing etc)

Test the wrist strap/operator daily or install constant monitors.

Inspect the ESD grounding connections, the mats, the EBP, weekly.

Clean the surfaces with purpose-made antistatic cleaner, do not use

commercial products, the cleaners may leave a residue insulative layer.

ESDBOOK page 13
 g
rin
i to
M on Check your ESD equipment regularly

ESD protection systems as wrist straps, foot grounders, work surfaces and floors
need to be checked on a regular basis. This is an important requirement of the ESD
standard IEC 61340-5-1.
WRISTLAB TEST STATION
HOW TO TEST YOUR WRIST STRAP

Personnel testing
1) Indossare il bracciale. Assicurarsi che sia aderente.
LO BAT

FAIL LOW PASS HIGH FAIL

3) Collegare il cordone nell'ingresso "ATTACH CORD".
4) Premere con le dita "TOUCHPLATE" .
WRISTLAB PERSONNEL
5)ATTENZIONE a non alterare la misura toccando con CIRCUIT
TESTER
l'altra mano il tester o il bracciale.
TOUCHPLATE

6) La luce verde ed il buzzer indicano che il bracciale FOOTWEAR

35
FOOTWEAR
100
CORD TEST
END
CORD TEST
ATTACH
ATTACH
CORD

e l'operatore sono conformi.

7) la luce rossa o gialla segnalano non-conformit.

The personnel grounding tester is a wrist 8) L'indicatore "LO-BAT" segnala batteria esaurita.
mod.9265.026

strap and/or footwear tester to check

personnel grounding systems before entering
an EPA.

check wrist straps and footwear twice a day

For standing operations

ESD flooring used with approved footwear, may be an alternative to the wrist strap
system, in this case the standard is more restrictive and one of the following
conditions must be met:
- the resistance of the person to the ground must be less than 3.5x107

- the maximum body voltage generation must be less than 100 volts.

It is easier to check the first condition, we suggest to use a Megaohmmeter with

one lead attached to the ground and one electrode held by the person wearing
ESD footwear standing on the factory's protective floor.

check the "footwear/flooring system" twice a year

Garments Rs < 1 x 1012

Charge decay  2s

Glove and finger coats as worn 7.5 x 105  Rg  1x 1012

page 14 ESDBOOK
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rin
i to Continuous
on
Monitors can be used to constantly monitor ESD
protective items such as wrist straps, work surfaces and floors, all the
M systems provide visual and audible alarms. Continuous monitoring
reduces but not replace the periodic checks.

CONTINUOUS MONITORING METHODS

Capacitive
affected by noise and capacitive
variations associated with personnel
and environmental conditions.

Dual-wire / Current loop

accurate but expensive system
requires special wrist straps

Wave distortion detection

good system not affected by
interference

check the continuous monitor functions semi-annually

EPA testing

check workstations, floor mats, ESD ground connections ,

ionizers monthly
check ESD control instruments annually

Resistance to ground should be:

Worksurface: 7.5 x 105W Rg 1 x 109W

Floors: Rg 1 x 109W

Seating: Rg 1 x 1010W

Tools: Rg 1 x 1012W

Ionizers
Ionizers neutralize electrostatic charges with fans that blow large quantities
of positive and negative ions. Ionizers out of balance (different quantities
of negative and positive ions), can place a significant charge on items
instead of neutralizing the charges.

check ionizers monthly (see Test method on page 29)

ESDBOOK page 15
 e ld IN FIELD WORKS

Fi Field work is perhaps the most risky situation of handling ESD sensitive
In devices, it is also often the most neglected aspect of ESD damage
prevention. The situation is risky as there are usually many potential ESD
sources in the environment.
Spare parts should be transported inside static shielding bags or
containers .
Where modules have to be worked on in an exposed state, static-
dissipative matting should be bonded to the product's electrostatic bonding
point, and to the ground to act as a work surface.

Typical "field service kit"

Wriststrap with
1MW resistor with
coiled cord

Static
dissipative
Lay ESD sensitive mat
devices only on the mat
Grounding cord with
1MW resistor built-in

o lsTools should not have insulating handles. Decay of charge to less than
To 10% of initial value (1000V) within 2 sec. is required.
Soldering irons tips must be grounded to earth, and must be used only at
low voltages (6 to 24V)

Earth Bonding Point

1MW 1M W 1MW

pag.16 ESDBOOK
 t y
fe
Sa Before we get to the key issues of ESD control, it is important to note that
personnel safety is paramount. In no way should an ESD control program
replace or supersede any requirements for personnel safety.

In the factory, grounding personnel around the AC power line is a possible

hazard. Personal grounding should not be used when working around
voltages greater than 250 VAC.

Although personal grounding items must include a 1MW resistor to limit

current to less than 0.25 mA, ground fault circuit interrupters should be
used.

Where high voltages greater than 250VAC or 500VDC are present, use
proper warning signs. (see page 9)

TYPICAL EPA AREA CONFIGURATION

WRISTSTRAP

1MW

WORKING BENCH FLOORING

3 x 1MW

EARTH BONDING POINT

Safety
management is
GROUNDING CONNECTION
responsible for
< 1x 106 W
selecting
equipment that
complies with
applicable laws
and regulatory
codes.

ESDBOOK page 17
 g
l in
d TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE

H an
Store and transport ESD-sensitive items properly

When transporting and storing ESD sensitive devices, use trays, racks, tote boxes
and bags made of conductive, dissipative or shielding materials.

To transport loose leaded devices,

conductive foam is often employed.
This prevents a potential difference of
more than a few volts appearing
across the pins.

Dissipative tubes are used for bulk

supply of dual-in-line packages.

Dissipative or conductive open

part bins, tote boxes, PCB holders,
trays, are used for subassemblies
and printed circuit boards.

Bags

Packaging used within an EPA shall be:

- all with low charge generation properties LABEST
AT -
3-LAYERS A3

- made in dissipative or conductive material

DISSIPATI
VE FILM

D 04
PE-L
D

for intimate contact

(see page 21 for bag specifications)

page 18 ESDBOOK
 g
l in Movement of carts and other wheeled equipment through the facility
n d
Ha
can generate static charges that can transfer to products being
transported.
ESD safe carts are made from dissipative or conductive materials
and are equipped with dissipative or conductive wheels.
If wheels are insulating the structure can be grounded to the floor
through a metallic chain.
If the floor of the EPA is not grounding, then the trolley should be
grounded from its grounding point to an earth bonding point, when
stationary for loading or unloading.

RACK, CART AND SHELVING

Every surface on which ESDS are placed must be connected to ground, and have a
point-to-point resistance between 1x104W and 1x1010W, and resistance-to-ground
between 7.5x105W and 1x109 W.
Surface to ground resistance values may be achieved by including discrete
resistors in the ground path, or by the resistance of the material which is directly
grounded.

Conductive wheels

When surfaces (example: crome plated steel) have a point to point resistance
lower than 1x104W, for housing ESD sensitive devices, use proper static
dissipative boxes or mats.

ESDBOOK page 19
 n g
gi
c ka
Pa The aim of ESD protective packaging is to prevent a direct electrostatic
discharge to the ESDS item contained within and allow for dissipation of
charge from the exterior surface. Packaging material will also often provide
mechanical protection and protection against contamination by dust or
humidity.

IEC 61340-5-1 defines three levels of packaging:

Intimate in contact with the ESDS

proximity does not make contact with the ESDS, but may enclose
one or more ESDS

secondary mainly used to give physical protection, is kept away from

ESDS and is not allowed in the EPA

INSIDE THE EPA OUTSIDE THE EPA

Intimate Proximity Intimate Proximity

ESDS Either low charging Low charging As for inside Electrostatic

and conductive and electrostatic EPA shielding
or low charging shielding or
and static-dissipative low charging and
conductive or
(for powered ESDS only static-dissipative
low charging and
static-dissipative
above 1x109 W
shall be used)

Non ESDS Dissipative or low charging No requirements

Note: Where surface resistance >1x 1010 W is used, the material shall be procured with a
T1000 < 2 sec

caution in purchasing:

some packaging materials may be humidity dependent and may have limited shelf
life, some other may contaminate or shed particles that cause production-related
problems. ( example: a too brittle hard foam)

page 20 ESDBOOK
 n g
gi
c ka BAGS
Pa antistatic
Use:
(low charge)
within the EPA for packing non-ESD sensitive
items
Cost: low
Appearance: clear or tinted (pink, blue, green)

Material: Polyethylene mono or multilayer

Characteristics Rs 1x1010 to 1x1012 W

T1000 < 2 sec at 50% rH, 22C

Shelf-life: generally 1 year

conductive
Use: good degree of protection for many ESD
sensitive items. Don't use with powered
devices.
Cost: medium
Appearance: black

Material: polyethylene with carbon added

Characteristics Rs 1x103 to 1x105 W

Shelf-life: more than 5 years

shielding
Use: for intimate packaging of all ESD sensitive
items.
Cost: high
Appearance: metallized semi-transparent

Material: generally a vacuum deposited aluminium

between layers of polyester and polyethylene
film
Characteristics shielding bags meet the two main require-
ments: low charging and electrostatic
discharge shielding barrier.
Shelf-life: more than 2 years

moisture barrier
Corrosion and thus moisture protection is becoming increasingly important, Dry
Packaging is usually required for electronic devices that have to be placed into long
term storage. To provide a complete protection of devices, one desiccant pack and
one Humidity Monitor Card are inserted into the bag prior the vacuum sealing.

ESDBOOK page 21
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F l o Static protective permanent flooring, in conjunction with conductive
footwear or heel grounding straps, drains static charge away to ground
through the floor.
It is a solid foundation for a comprehensive static control system.
In addition to dissipating charges, the static-dissipative flooring
reduces triboelectric charge generation in walking and minimise
charge accumulation on chairs, carts, lift trucks and other objects that
move across the floor. However, these items require dissipative or
conductive castors or wheels to make electrical contact with the floor.

Use dissipative shoes or

footgrounders on
ESD protective flooring

Dissipative floor
Lower conductive layer

Concrete subfloor Rs
1 x 1010W

Rg
1 x 109W

Recommendations

- choose a floor covering with Rg lower than 3,5x107W, this enable the
grounding of personnel via the flooring-footwear system (see page
14) in alternative with the wriststrap system.
- choose a floor covering suitable for your traffic level (frequency, weight,
type of castors )
- take in consideration the sound absorption, anti-fatigue and anti slip
properties
- ask to the supplier a guarantee that the earth leakage resistance will be
maintained, throughout the useful life of the floor material.

page 22 ESDBOOK
 g
rin With reference to the installation systems, static control flooring

loo
can be classified into three groups:

F Permanently installed floors

Vinyl tiles
usually earthed via a strip of copper foil and bonded with conductive acrylic
adhesive.
Aesthetically attractive
Poor heat and chemical resistance

Rubber tiles
usually earthed via a strip of copper foil and bonded with conductive acrylic
adhesive.
Excellent heat and chemical resistance

Carpet
Aesthetically attractive, mostly used in offices
Difficult to reach a good static dissipation

Resinous flooring (Epoxy, vinyl ester, polyurethane coating)

Variable thickness for different traffic condition
Chemical resistant.
Easy to clean.
Topcoats may get scratched or abraded

Periodically applied topical coatings on existing floor surfaces

Lower material cost, easy to apply

Difficult to reach a good static dissipation
Worn away easily and frequent recoating is required

Mats placed over existing floors

Vinyl mats
Possibility to move the mat
Poor heat and chemical resistance
Limited coverage area

Rubber mats
Possibility to move the mat
Excellent heat and chemical resistance
Limited coverage area

Grid mats (polypropylene, polyethylene)

Possibility to move the mat
Good operator comfort, insulation from cold floor
Limited coverage area

ESDBOOK page 23
 i ty
id The most significant environmental factor in ESD Control is

u m the relative humidity (Rh)

H When humidity in the working environment decreases, the human body and
other insulators can easily charge with static electricity due to friction. The air
itself, being dry, becomes a part of the electrostatic build-up mechanism, every
time an air flow (wind, air conditioning, blower) come over an insulated surface.
Relative Humidity shall be maintained over 30%.
Below that value it is recommended the use of ionization.

Environmental Monitoring

Each EPA area shall be equipped with a Humidity/Temperature meter to record

these data.These informations are useful to establish the distribution through
the time of ESD related failures (needed to the Failure Process Analysis).

io n
a t Where grounding of some equipment or parts of it through

z
the traditional earthing techniques is impractical and where
i
on
it is impossible to exclude all charging materials from the

I
working area, the use of suitable ionizers is highly
Air Ionization systems work by flooding the atmosphere with positive and
negative ions.
When the ionized air comes in contact with a charged surface, the surface
attracts ions of the opposite polarity. As a result the static electricity that has built
up on products and equipment is neutralised.
Ions do remove small particles or smoke and pollens from the air, and subjective
research suggest that people working in ionized area are happier.

IONIZER Nuclear High maintenance required

AC Low discharge time when using high

volume blowers
DC Very Low discharge time

PROTECTION Local bench Ionizers

(little area) Ionizing bars
Ionizing guns

Complete Manual Environmental Control

(whole room) Automatic Environmental Control

Maximum Ozone generation accepted by law: 0.2mg per m3(0.1ppm)

DC Ionizers with balanced ions emission are the best solution for local
protection.

page 24 ESDBOOK
 io n
a t
z some types of ionizers
ni
Io

BENCH TOP
IONIZING BLOWER

OVERHEAD IONIZING BLOWER

AIR FORCE
BLOW-OFF GUN

very useful to blow off

charged dust particles from
electronic card, and other
equipment or materials.

The most common test to evaluate air ionizer performance is the static decay
time measurement (see pag. 29)

ESDBOOK page 25
 g
tin
RESISTANCE MEASUREMENTS
s
Te Resistance measurement is the most common tests to verify the efficiency of
working surfaces

POINT TO POINT
RESISTANCE

Is the resistance measured

between two points on the
surface using a Megaohmmeter
with two electrodes.

Always record:
T (C)
Rh (%)
values, as the resistance
measurements may change
with these two parameters.

RESISTANCE TO GROUND

should be measured using a

Megohmeter with one
electrode placed on the
surface and the other
terminal connected to the
groundable point.
The resistance should
measure between
7.5x105 and 1x109 W.

For many materials, the measured Open circuit

resistance depends on the applied Rx (W)
test voltage (V)
voltage; according to IEC61340-4-1 the
test voltage applied by the Megohmeter Rx 1x105 10
is given in the following table 1x105< Rx 1x1012 100

Cylindrical probes with 63mm diameter and 2.3kg weight, meets IEC and
ANSI/ESD standards.

page 26 ESDBOOK
 ng
SURFACE RESISTIVITY

i
st
500V 1M W 500G W
100V 100K W 100G W
10V 1K W 10GW
RESISTANCE METER

Defines the electrical resistance of

MEASURE

e
ENTER

T
OFF Vtest PROG

GIGALAB
the surface of the material, it is
expressed in W/square and
theoretically is 10 times greater than
the point to point resistance.
Measurements can be made using a
square probe with two parallel
electrodes or a concentric ring
probe, in compliance with
IEC61340-5-1 .
CONCENTRIC
RING PROBE
Always record:
T (C)
MATERIAL UNDER TEST Rh (%)
500G W
10GW
100G
1M W
1KW W
100K

RESISTANCE METER
500V
10V
100V
values, as the resistance
ENTER
MEASURE

measurements may change

with these two parameters.
OFF Vtest PROG

GIGALAB

VOLUME RESISTANCE

Is defined as the ratio of dc voltage

to current passing between two
electrodes (of a specified
configuration) that contact opposite
MATERIAL
UNDER TEST
sides of the material of the object
under test. Volume resistance is
measured in W.
It is normal to test mats or sheets
COUNTER-ELECTRODE with a cylindrical probe and a flat
500V
100V
10V
1M W
100K W
1K W
500G W
100G W
10GW
RESISTANCE METER
counter-electrode
MEASURE

ENTER

OFF Vtest PROG

GIGALAB

PERSON TO GROUND
RESISTANCE

Measuring Resistance through a

Person to Ground according
IEC61340-4-5 for the
measurement of a resistance
through the combination of a
person /shoes / flooring system .
FLOOR

ESDBOOK page 27
 n g some hand-held electrostatic instruments useful to locate
t i static charge problems
s
TeElectrostatic FIELDMETER
The accurate measurement of electrostatic fields requires the operator to be familiar
with this type of equipment.
Most hand-held meters require the measure to be taken at a fixed distance from the
object (typical distance is one inch). Equipment manufacturers typically specify that
the object being measured needs to have certain minimum dimensions. Objects
smaller than the minimum dimensions may not provide an accurate reading.
1 inch (25.4mm)

ground
the case

Electrostatic VOLTMETER
There exist noncontacting instruments that can provide accurate measurements at a
wide probe-to-surface spacing range and can inspect small charged areas on the
surface under test. The higher spot resolution capability is useful to locate charges on
non homogeneous materials.

5-25mm

ground
the case

choose instruments that make accurate

measurements in ionized environments too.

page 28 ESDBOOK
 g
tin
VERIFICATION OF AIR IONIZERS
s
Te IONIZATION TEST KIT
An ionization test kit can very quickly verify the proper functioning of an ionizer.
The ionization test kit should be grounded and placed in the ionized airflow to
measure the decay time and the balance of air ionization equipment, the
charger is used to charge an isolated plate applied on the field-meter.

charged
electrode placed
in the ionizer air
stream

charger
( 1000Vdc )
ionizer
ground digital field meter
the case

CHARGED PLATE MONITOR

Charged plate monitor tests the efficiency of ionizer's ion production by

measuring how long it takes air ions produced to discharge a floating ion
collecting plate that has been precharged to either a positive or negative
charge level.

decay time
plate voltage
(adjustable)

charge plate placed in the ionized air stream

plate dimensions : 150x150mm
meet IEC and ANSI/ESD standards

ESDBOOK page 29
 n g
ini
a
Tr STANDARDS: purchase, read and get familiar with the IEC 61340-5-1
Standards

ESD TEAM: establish and organise an ESD Team responsible for the
ESD control program.

TRAINING: train the operators to the use and check of personal

protection, handling, etc. Sub/contractors and visitors shall
be made aware of local ESD procedures.

VIDEO: some video training on ESD event, cause and effect,

examples, demonstration, will get everyone aware of this
important problematic.

SIGNALING: clear signs to identify the Electrostatic Protected Area or

any ESD hazard, shall be widely and properly used to alert
operators, or to draw their attention over protection.

DISCIPLINE: Manager and technicians shall always respect the

standards and quality procedure so as to give a good
example to the operators.

r s
s ito
Vi Visitors entering the EPA shall behave properly to prevent any ESD
damage or danger.

In case of a conductive floor they shall wear ESD heel and toe
grounder, which also exist in the economic disposable version.

It is recommended to wear an antistatic overall, and also a

connected wrist-strap in case of PCB or component manipulation.

page 30 ESDBOOK
 i s t
k l
e c
Ch Simple Audit Check List for ESD Control Program.
It is essential to implement corrective action if deficiencies are discovered.

YES NO
- Are personnel wearing grounded wrist straps at
the ESD protective workstations?

- Are personnel checking regularly their wrist

strap's continuity or using a continuous ground
monitor?

- Is the ESD equipment at the workstation properly

grounded ?

- Where ESD protective flooring is used, are

dissipative footwear worn?

- Where ESD protective floors and footwear are

used, do personnel check continuity to ground
upon entering the area?

- When required, are ESD protective garments

correctly worn ?
- Is the workstation clear of all not-essential
personal items ?

- Are all ESD sensitive devices stored and

transported in static- shielding container ?

- Are all ESD sensitive devices correctly labelled ?

- Are visitors crossing the EPA using proper ESD

protection ?

- Do you report any ESD hazards that you notice

to your ESD responsible?

ESDBOOK page 31
 ec o

Licefa

ION SYSTEMS

TRESTON