Electrostatic discharge - understanding and controlling the phenomenon: A Handbook for packaging professionals

This thesis is designed to be a handbook on the phenomenon of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and its deleterious effects on electrically-sensitive electronic devices. Packaging and handling of sensitive devices occurs at every step in the assembly of such devices. Once the hardware is designed (and this may include some ESD-protective mechanisms) , it is the packaging of ESD-sensitive devices that determines their ultimate fate: being 100% reliable, being among the walking wounded, or being completely useless. Electrostatic discharge is a phenomenon experienced in many industries from foods to pharmaceuticals, aerospace to communications, medical packaging to explosives, military to optics, and most predominantly the electronics industry. An understanding of ESD phenomenon is essential in some industries, critical in others. This handbook focuses on the problems of the electronics industry. It is an industry that touches all others, and it is plagued, often critically, with the problems of ESD. There is a general lack of understanding of the problems caused by electrostatic discharge. The unfortunate side effects of this lack of understanding are the purchase of inappropriate materials and little impact on rising damage to electrically-sensitive components. Competent, knowledgeable packaging professionals play an important role in ensuring the successful manufacture, handling, packaging, and transport of sensitive electronic devices. It is the purpose of this handbook that packaging professionals have knowledge of this subject prior to being faced with all the challenges of ESD control