When
you feel a static shock, you are experiencing a minimum of 3,000 volts of
electricity. This "shock" known as Electro Static Discharge or
ESD also may be responsible for damaging many of the rejected electronic
components in your company.
While
you can feel electrostatic discharges of 3,000 volts, smaller charges are below
the threshold of human sensation. Unfortunately, smaller charges can and do
damage semiconductor devices. Many of the CMOS technology components used in
your facility can be damaged by charges of less than 1,000 volts. Some of the
more sophisticated components can be damaged by charges as low as 10 volts. You
should be aware of the relative sensitivity to ESD damage of devices you may be
working with.
As
electronic technology advances, electronic components tend to become smaller
and smaller. As the size of the components is reduced, so is the microscopic
spacing of insulators and circuits within them, increasing their sensitivity to
ESD. As you can predict, the need of proper ESD protection increases everyday.