Introduction To Electrostatic Discharge Protection

Abstract

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is one of the most prevalent threats to the integrity of electronic components and integrated circuits (ICs). It is an event in which a finite amount of charge is transferred from one object (i.e., human body) to another (i.e., microchip). This process can result in a very high current passing through the object within a very short period of time [1,2]. A common ESD phenomenon is shown in Figure 1.1, where a person is shocked by an ESD from the metal doorknob to the ground via the human body. In this case, the human body is the charge source, the metal knob is the ground, and the human body skin is the conducting path between the source and ground. The amount of charges on a body is typically described by the voltage, and the voltage level depends on factors such as flooring material and air humidity. When a microchip or an electronic system is subject to an ESD event, the huge ESD-induced current can damage the microchip and cause malfunction to the electronic system if the ESD-generated energy in the object cannot be dissipated quickly enough. Figure 1.2 shows various damages found in microchips resulted from ESD stresses. These damages can be summarized into three categories: oxide breakdown, junction failure, and metal fusing. It is estimated that about 35% of all damaged microchips are ESD related, resulting in a loss of revenue of several hundred million dollars in the global semiconductor industry every year [3]. The continuing scaling of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology makes ESD-induced failures even more prominent, and one can predict with certainty that the availability of effective and robust ESD protection solutions will become a critical and essential component to the advancement and commercialization of the modern and next-generation Si, GaAs, GaN, and other technologies [4-7].

Publication Date

1-1-2017

Publication Title

Electrostatic Discharge Protection: Advances and Applications

Number of Pages

1-12

Document Type

Article; Book Chapter

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1201/b18976

Socpus ID

85052776275 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85052776275

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