ESD, Safety, ESD material Handling, Safety/Electrostatic Discharge, ESD Workstation Components, ESD Damage, Preventing ESD Damage, Difference in ESD Generation based on Relative Humidity (RH)

1. ESD Material Handling
Safety/Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

2.  What Is Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)?
 Why is ESD important?
 ESD Damage
 Preventing ESD Damage
 ESD Workstation Components
 ESD Wrist Strap or Foot/Heel Strap
 ESD Floor or Table Mat
 Increasing Humidity
 Anti-static Bags
ESD Training Objectives:

3. What Is Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)?
 When two objects rub together, they create friction.
 A by-product of friction is heat.
 Result of the increased molecular activity brought about by
electrons moving back and forth between the two surfaces.
 Our bodies are constantly in motion. When we move
against another material, like carpet, we create friction.
 Results in rapid movement of electrons, some of which
remain in our bodies.
 This exchange of electrons builds up a charge within our
bodies

4. What Is Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)?
 Built-up electrons inside us are seeking an outlet:
 A way to flow through us to another electrically conductive
material that isn’t quite as charged up as we are.
 Such as a doorknob
 When we make contact with another electrically
conductive material, the electrons jump from our body
to the other material.
 So static electricity is the buildup of an electrical charge
within an object, such as a person, the discharge of
which is in the form of electricity.

5.  Our bodies constantly generate and release static
electricity.
 Almost every time we touch something, we discharge
some amount of static electricity.
 While you work on a circuit board, you can discharge
static electricity to components of the system just by
touching them.
 The human body can feel an electrostatic discharge of
3000 volts OR MORE.
 Less than 100 volts can damage or destroy the
delicate circuitry found in computers.
Why is ESD important?

6.  Discharge of high levels of electricity into wires and
components not designed to accept such levels will
result in damage.
 Damage is not always immediately apparent.
 Partial damage can result in intermittent errors in
the component or unit because some pulses still
flow properly while others don’t.
 Users will complain of errors and problems that
are not always duplicable.
ESD Damage

7.  Ensure that any electrostatic buildup in your body is discharged
immediately to the ground.
 You must provide a direct ground path from your body.
 Remove all static generating material (foam cups, plastic food
wrappers, scotch tape & dispenser) from work station.
 Use special electrostatic dissipative products.
 Slow the transference of electrostatic energy, allowing it to
dissipate before damaging components and units.
 If you are not sure whether a unit is static sensitive, it is always
best to handle it as if it were.
Preventing ESD Damage

8.  As a material handler or technician, it is your
responsibility to ensure you don’t cause damage to
systems you are servicing.
 Create an ESD workstation or environment to
reduce ESD damage.
 Always wear your wrist strap when handling units
at a workstation. Simply touching the ESD
workbench without a wrist strap is not allowed!
 A good ESD workstation should incorporate the
components shown on the next slide.
Preventing ESD Damage

9.  ESD wrist strap or foot/heel strap
 ESD floor mat/wax or table mats
 Increased humidity (this is an increasing concern
from our customers).
 Presence of moisture allows electrons to better
discharge safely into the air
 Anti-static bags
ESD Workstation Components

10.  ESD wrist strap or foot/heel straps (clean frequently)
 Attached to wrist with wire leading to designated plug-in
which is attached to grounded object
 Can be grounded to various items:
 ESD mat
 ESD floor mat
 Metal table or chair leg provided the table or chair leg is
grounded.
ESD Wrist Strap or Foot/Heel Straps

11.  ESD Floor or Table Mat
 Floor mat/wax placed where you stand
 The Table Mat is connected to the a ground and
provides a path for heel straps. Clean frequently to
ensure ground.
 Floor and underneath mat (where applicable)
should be kept free of dirt and debris. Clean
frequently to ensure ground.
 Table mat is placed on your work surface
 Provide route to ground through:
Grounding strap that runs from mat to a grounding
point
ESD Floor or Table Mat

12.  ESD buildup is greatly reduced in a humid
environment.
 As the presence of moisture in the air is increased,
electrons are better able to discharge safely into the
air instead of another object.
 Using a humidifier/air ionizer to increase the air
moisture in your work area can greatly reduce ESD
buildup.
 Too much humidity can cause condensation that
can damage components.
Increasing Humidity
(This is an increasing concern among customers)

13. Activity 10% RH 65% RH
Walking across carpet 35,000 volts 1,500 volts
Walking across vinyl
flooring
12,000 volts 250 volts
Working on a computer 6,000 volts 700 volts
Paper and plastic moving 7,000 volts 600 volts
Lifting a component poly
bag
20,000 volts 1,200 volts
Sitting in a padded foam
chair
18,000 volts 1,500 volts
Difference in ESD Generation based on Relative
Humidity (RH)

14.  Electronic components are shipped in special ESD bags.
 These bags protect the components inside from ESD
 They should be saved and used to store components that you
work with
 Storing components in these bags will reduce the risk of ESD
damage to the component
 Static sensitive units cannot be handled outside of an ESD bag
without wrist/heel straps, not even by the unit’s edges
 Never place any paperwork or tags inside the ESD bag with the
unit. Paperwork generates static electricity
Anti-static Bags

15.  Electrically conductive bags
 Usually black or gray, coated with a metallic or carbon layer,
or with a metallic weave.
 Metal helps conduct ESD across surface of bag to
ground very quickly
 Carbon slows ESD transference, routing the charge to
the ground
 Bags can be used over long periods of time without losing
effectiveness
Types Of Anti-static Bags

16.  Electrically Low-Charging Bags
 Usually pink, coated with a substance that
prevents static build-up.
 Very little protection might actually be afforded to
the components inside.
 Anti-static properties of the bag degrade over
time.
Types of Anti-Static Bags