Hot Topics in ESD

ESD flooring systems fail more often from misunderstanding than bad materials. This article walks through nine common pitfalls — from confusing anti-static with ESD-safe to poor grounding and installation shortcuts — and how to avoid each one.

Small form factor devices often fail traditional field‑induced CDM testing, prompting the need for contact‑first methods. This article compares CC‑TLP, low‑impedance contact CDM, and relay‑based CDM techniques, outlining how each provides more repeatable, lower‑noise stress conditions for bare die and wafer‑level testing.

This column explores two air‑discharge‑based methods for testing small form factor products under the Charged Device Model. It examines limitations of traditional FICDM testers, presents wafer‑level and bare‑die testing approaches, and introduces contact‑first CDM techniques designed to improve reliability for fine‑pitch and low‑voltage devices.

FICDM testing wasn't designed for today's tiny chiplets and flip chip assemblies. Part 1 explores critical challenges: probes too large for microbumps, unreliable air discharge below 250V, and the mounting dilemma for bare die products.

Secondary discharges during Field-Induced CDM testing aren't just measurement anomalies—they're real stress events caused by mechanical bouncing of the pogo pin. This groundbreaking investigation reveals how contact vibrations trigger unintended zaps with opposite polarity, provides electrical proof of the mechanism, and offers practical solutions to prevent this hidden reliability threat.

High-speed automotive serial links supporting ADAS features face a critical challenge: meeting stringent system-level ESD requirements while maintaining signal integrity at 10+ Gbps. This column presents an innovative on-chip protection architecture embedding ESD clamps within T-coil circuits, achieving 8kV ISO protection while supporting data rates exceeding 36 Gbps.Retry

Real-world ESD discharge currents during semiconductor assembly differ dramatically from standard test predictions. A new Discharge Current Sensor reveals that actual currents are lower but faster than expected, challenging current protection designs for Multi-Chip Modules and Systems in Package.

USB-C's high-speed data lines need robust ESD protection, but TVS device placement matters critically. New research reveals why positioning protection behind AC coupling capacitors—not in front—delivers superior IC protection for sensitive SuperSpeed applications.

Traditional Charged Device Model testing falls short for bare dies in 2.5D/3D devices. With discharge currents reaching 500 mA at just 5V, existing methods can't handle the unique challenges of testing unpackaged components. CCTLP emerges as a promising alternative for reliable low-voltage testing.

A new version of Technical Report TR18.0-01-25 (TR18) on ESD Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Checks by the ESD Association’s Working Group 18 is about to be released. This article, divided into Part 1 and Part 2, provides guidelines for the EDA industry and the ESD design community for establishing a comprehensive ESD verification flow to address the ESD design challenges of modern ICs.