Static electricity, the buildup of electrical charges on the surface of some object or material, continues to remain a serious problem.
Significant risks occur when large charges accumulate in the presence of sensitive materials or devices causing damage to electronic
equipment. TESSCO carries antistatic products plus everything you need for your workstation... including the bench!
These static tips, provided by
3M Electronics and the ESD
Association, will help control
static electricity and electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Keep your work
environment static free to avoid
costly damage.
ESD Damage Costs Electronics
Industry Billions of Dollars Each Year
Excerpt from the Fundamentals of Electrostatic
Discharge, Parts 1-3, ESD Association
Static electricity has been a
serious industrial problem for
centuries. As electronic devices
became faster and smaller, their
sensitivity to electrostatic
discharge (ESD) increased.
Today, ESD impacts productivity and product reliability in
virtually every aspect of today’s
electronics environment.
Despite a great deal of effort
during the past decade, ESD
still affects production yields,
manufacturing costs, product
quality, product reliability, and
profitability - costing billions of
dollars annually.
Electrostatic discharge is defined
as the transfer of charge between
bodies at different electrical
potentials, and can change the
electrical characteristics of a
semiconductor device, degrading
or destroying it. Once the charge is
created on a material, it becomes
an "electrostatic" charge (if it
remains on the material). This
charge may be transferred from
the material, creating an electrostatic discharge, or ESD, event.
WRIST STRAPS
ESD Damage –
How Devices Fail
Electrostatic damage to electronic
devices can occur at any point
from manufacturer to field service.
Damage results from handling the
devices in uncontrolled surroundings or when poor ESD control
practices are used. Generally,
damage is classified as either a
catastrophic failure or a latent
defect.
• The most common cause of
wrist strap failure is poor fit.
• Never use a wrist strap if the
AC equals or exceeds 250
volts.
• It doesn’t matter on which arm
the wrist band is worn.
• Never use an alligator clip on
a wrist strap cord to connect to
a painted surface or static mat.
Basic ESD Events –
What Causes Electronic Devices to
Fail?
ESD damage is usually caused
by one of three events: direct
electrostatic discharge to the
device, electrostatic discharge
from the device or field-induced
discharges. Damage to an ESDS
device by the ESD event is
determined by the device's ability
to dissipate the energy of the
discharge or withstand the voltage
levels involved. This is known as
the device’s ESD sensitivity.
Flexible ESD Wrist Strap
TESSCO No. 343498
List $18.20
USING TESTERS
• It doesn’t matter which hand
is used to press the test
paddle on a wrist strap.
• The person using a static
meter must be grounded
even when a meter is
“zeroed out” before use.
How Much Static Protection
is Needed?
Defining the ESD sensitivity of
electronic components is the first
step in determining the degree of
ESD protection required. Protecting your products from the effects
of static damage begins by
understanding these key concepts
of ESD. Armed with this information, you can then begin to
develop an effective ESD control
program.
• Test shoe straps and
footwear one foot at a time.
Dual Wrist and Foot Tester
TESSCO No. 352731
List $481.85
TABLE MATS
• The table mat should be
connected to a “third wire”
electrical ground (not a water
pipe or building ground).
• Do not clean a static mat with
any cleaner containing wax.
• Clean a static mat once
a month for maximum
performance.
HAND AND
POWER TOOLS
CLEANERS AND
ANTISTATS
• Use a three-prong ground
type AC plug for electrical
tools and equipment.
• Use ESD safe hand tools
together with an ESD work
surface and wrist straps for
safe controlled dissipation
of static buildup.
• Use ionized or topical antistats
to control generation and
accumulation of static on
insulated materials.
STATIC BAGS
• NEVER use a static bag as a
“potholder” or tray to carry a
board or assembly!
• Always close a static bag but
never with a staple (tapes,
labels, heat sealing, rubber
bands, etc. are safe).
2’x4’ Static Mat, Blue
TESSCO No. 61617
List $83.00
ESD Precision Tool Kit
TESSCO No. 391393
List $71.70
Controlling Static on Personnel and
Moving Equipment
In many facilities, people are one
of the prime generators of static
electricity. The simple act of
walking around or repairing a
board can generate several
thousand volts on the human body.
For this reason, static- control
programs place considerable
emphasis on controlling
personnel-generated electrostatic
discharge.
• Holes in the static bag do NOT
affect its shielding unless the
parts protrude.
SCAN IT! MANAGE IT!
Transparent
Metal-In Static Bag
TESSCO No. 394682
List $58.30
Zero Charge Mat
and Table Top Cleaner
TESSCO No. 390938
List $14.85
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For an extensive listing of static
protection devices and to read
the entire article, Fundamentals
of Electrostatic Discharge, visit
www.tessco.com/go/bench.