HBM
Human Body Model represents a charged person discharging through a device terminal. Personnel grounding is a major control.
SPI
Special Processes Institute
sp-i.org
ESD Information and Control Plan
ESD Information and Control Plan
Learn how electrostatic charge is generated, how ESD damages electronic components and assemblies, how standards structure an effective control programme, and how to create a risk-based ESD control plan. Build an EPA project, add control-plan lines, complete an audit, generate printable signs, save or load JSON and issue a professional PDF report.
AWARENESS EPA CONTROL VERIFICATION ASSURANCE
8
Knowledge and project sections
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Control-plan lines
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Risk assessments
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Audit checklist complete
JSON / PDF
Portable project and report
What Electrostatic Discharge Means
Most damaging events are below the threshold a person can feel.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the rapid transfer of electrical charge between objects at different electrical potentials. Charge is commonly produced by contact and separation, movement, induction, flowing materials, peeling film or tape, and the handling of insulating packaging.
Critical misconception: no visible spark and no felt shock does not mean the product was safe. Fine semiconductor structures can be damaged by events that are imperceptible to the operator.
CDM
Charged Device Model represents a charged component or assembly discharging rapidly when it contacts a conductor. Automation and handling materials are important.
CBE / CDE
Charged board and cable discharge events can affect assemblies through connectors, test points and external interfaces.
System ESD
Finished-equipment immunity testing is different from manufacturing ESD control and normally uses separate standards.
How Charge Is Generated
| Activity | Charging mechanism | Typical control |
|---|---|---|
| Walking across flooring | Footwear contacts and separates from the floor. | Qualified footwear/flooring system, testing or continuous monitoring. |
| Removing a PCB from a bag | Board and packaging surfaces separate. | Low-charging shielding packaging and controlled unpacking inside an EPA. |
| Peeling tape or protective film | Rapid material separation generates high charge. | Approved low-charging alternatives, distance and ionisation. |
| Sliding trays, bins or boards | Friction and repeated contact/separation. | Qualified dissipative or conductive carriers and process assessment. |
| Clothing movement | Garment layers rub together. | Fastened ESD garments and control of exposed synthetic clothing. |
| Compressed air or moving particles | Airflow and particles charge surfaces. | Qualified ionised-air process; avoid uncontrolled air cleaning. |
| Automated feeders | Tape, trays and devices charge during movement. | Material qualification, grounding, ionisation and device-charge assessment. |
Catastrophic failure
Immediate open circuit, short circuit, loss of function, high current or a failed input/output port.
Latent damage
A weakened device may pass production test yet fail early in service, at temperature or under electrical stress.
Soft upset
Reset, data corruption, false triggering, communication interruption, programming errors or temporary loss of function.
Principal Standards and Guidance
Confirm the current contractual edition and obtain authorised copies.
| Standard | Primary purpose | Key application | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 61340-5-1:2024 | Requirements for establishing, implementing and maintaining an ESD control programme. | International manufacturing, handling, inspection, rework, storage and service. | Lower-withstand products require additional controls or tighter limits; excludes explosive devices and flammable liquids, gases and powders. |
| ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021 | Administrative and technical requirements for an ESD control programme. | US and global electronics supply chains. | Its baseline scope is not evidence that more sensitive products are protected. |
| JEDEC JESD625C | Minimum ESD handling controls for semiconductor devices. | Device manufacturing, test, packaging and supply. | More device-focused than a complete enterprise programme. |
| IEC 61340-5-3:2022 | ESD protective packaging properties, classifications and performance limits. | Production, rework, maintenance, transport and storage. | Packaging must be correctly selected, undamaged and closed. |
| IEC TS/PAS 61340-5-6 | Methods to assess electrostatic risks in actual processes. | Charged personnel, conductors, devices, insulators and fields. | Complements rather than replaces programme requirements. |
| ESD TR53 | Compliance-verification methods for ESD control items. | Periodic verification plans and practical testing. | Verification does not replace initial qualification. |
| ANSI/ESD S541 | Packaging materials for ESD-sensitive items. | US-aligned packaging selection and evaluation. | Must be integrated with actual handling and transport risks. |
| ANSI/ESD S8.1 | Awareness and protective symbols. | Product, EPA, packaging and control identification. | Symbols do not replace clear local instructions. |
| ANSI/ESDA/JEDEC JS-001 / JS-002 | Component HBM and CDM classification test methods. | Characterisation of device withstand. | Classification is not a factory-control programme. |
| IEC 61000-4-2 | System-level ESD immunity test. | Finished products and equipment. | Not a substitute for production ESD controls. |
| ISO 10605 | Road-vehicle ESD test methods. | Automotive electronic modules and vehicle interactions. | Sector-specific immunity/testing context. |
| NASA-STD-8739.6 / NASA guidance | Enhanced workmanship and ESD implementation for applicable NASA hardware. | Space and mission hardware when invoked. | Only applicable where contractually specified. |
Requirement Alignment Matrix
| Requirement area | IEC 61340-5-1 | ANSI/ESD S20.20 | JESD625C | Typical gap to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Documented programme plan | Required | Required | Required controls | Plan exists but is generic or does not define product sensitivity. |
| Responsible coordinator | Programme responsibility | Defined responsibility | Organisation responsibility | No competent owner or authority to stop work. |
| Product qualification | Required | Required | Material/control qualification | Supplier certificate accepted without use-case qualification. |
| Compliance verification | Required | Required; TR53 supports | Expected | Frequencies arbitrary; reactions and records missing. |
| Personnel grounding | Required | Required | Required | Wrist straps checked but flooring, garments or visitors ignored. |
| Insulator and isolated-conductor control | Explicit | Required | Handling controls | Ordinary plastics, tapes, tools and metal fixtures remain uncontrolled. |
| Ionisation | Where required | Where required | Where required | No decay/balance testing or poor positioning. |
| Packaging | Links to IEC 61340-5-3 | Often S541 | Device packaging | “Antistatic” packaging used where shielding is needed. |
| Training | Required | Required | Required | Attendance recorded but competence and effectiveness not evaluated. |
| System-level immunity | Outside scope | Outside scope | Outside scope | IEC 61000-4-2 test incorrectly treated as manufacturing control. |
Copyright and use note: this app provides an educational summary and implementation aid. It does not reproduce the standards and does not replace authorised copies, competent technical judgement, customer flow-downs or regulatory requirements.
Personnel
- Wrist straps
- Footwear and flooring
- Continuous monitors
- Groundable garments
- Training and authorisation
Workstation
- Common-point ground
- Dissipative surface
- Grounded tools and fixtures
- EPA boundary control
- Approved cleaning materials
Insulators
- Remove or substitute
- Set safe separation
- Use ionisation
- Shield exposed product
- Assess films, tapes and labels
Packaging
- Low charging
- Dissipative
- Conductive
- Discharge shielding
- Closed and undamaged
Control Equipment and Verification
| Control item | Purpose | Typical verification | Common failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrist strap | Grounds seated personnel through controlled resistance. | Before use or continuous monitoring. | Poor skin contact, broken lead, wrong connection. |
| Footwear/flooring system | Grounds standing and mobile personnel. | Entry test, system resistance and walking-voltage test. | Unqualified combination, contamination or insulating socks. |
| Work surface | Provides controlled charge decay and reference potential. | Resistance to ground and point-to-point measurement. | Disconnected ground, wrong cleaner or worn material. |
| Ionizer | Neutralises charge on insulators and isolated objects. | Offset/balance and charge-decay time. | Dirty emitters, wrong distance, blocked airflow, no alarm response. |
| Continuous monitor | Monitors personnel and sometimes work surfaces. | Function/alarm check and scheduled formal verification. | Alarm ignored or incorrectly set. |
| Grounded tools and fixtures | Prevents isolated conductors and direct discharges. | Continuity and resistance checks. | Insulating handles, plastic feet, loose bonding lead. |
| Trolleys, racks and shelving | Controlled movement and storage. | Ground path/resistance and wheel cleanliness. | Plastic wheels or contact lost across floor. |
| ESD event detector | Supports investigation of discharge activity. | Functional check and correlation with process events. | Used as sole proof of control or positioned poorly. |
Packaging Types
| Type | Use and caution |
|---|---|
| Static-shielding bag | Preferred for movement outside an EPA; must be fully closed and undamaged. |
| Moisture-barrier shielding bag | Combines moisture and ESD protection; sealing, desiccant and humidity indicators may be required. |
| Dissipative bag or tote | Useful in controlled handling; may not provide external discharge shielding. |
| Conductive tote/bin | Suitable for controlled movement; assess lid, grounding and short-circuit risk. |
| Conductive/dissipative foam | Supports leaded devices and cushioning; control ageing, contamination and compatibility. |
| Tape, reel, tray, tube or rail | Automated handling carriers; assess charge generation during feeding and separation. |
PPE and Clothing
| Item | Best-practice use |
|---|---|
| ESD coat/smock | Fastened, sleeves covering ordinary clothing, maintained and periodically tested. |
| Groundable garment | Connected exactly as qualified; may provide a defined garment or person grounding path. |
| ESD footwear/heel grounders | Used only with a qualified flooring system and tested before entry. |
| ESD gloves/finger cots | Control contamination and charge while preserving dexterity; qualify with the process. |
| ESD coverall/headwear | Often used in cleanrooms and high-control areas. |
| Sleeve protectors | Limit exposure from ordinary clothing sleeves near ESDS product. |
ESD clothing protects product; it does not replace safety PPE for chemicals, heat, mechanical hazards or electrical shock.
Affected Components and Assemblies
| Technology | Typical susceptibility | Possible effect |
|---|---|---|
| CMOS, MOSFET, ASIC, FPGA, processors and memory | Thin gate oxides, dense geometry and numerous I/O paths. | Gate rupture, leakage, logic failure, timing instability or latent degradation. |
| RF, microwave, GaAs, GaN and low-noise devices | Small junctions and low-capacitance structures. | Reduced gain, increased noise figure, degraded frequency response. |
| Laser diodes, LEDs and optoelectronics | Sensitive junctions and optical interfaces. | Loss of optical output, increased threshold, dead pixels or intermittent operation. |
| MEMS, sensors and magnetic heads | Tiny electrical and mechanical structures. | Stiction, offset, sensitivity loss or mechanical damage. |
| Precision analogue, ADC/DAC and instrumentation | High-impedance inputs and tight parameter limits. | Offset shift, leakage, noise, loss of calibration or reduced accuracy. |
| PCBs, flex circuits, hybrids and modules | Connectors and test points provide discharge paths. | Multiple component damage, corrupted programming or latent field failure. |
| Cables and finished equipment interfaces | Stored cable charge and external touch points. | Port damage, reset, communication loss or system upset. |
Physical Failure Mechanisms
Oxide puncture
Permanent conductive path through a thin dielectric, causing leakage or complete failure.
Junction or metal melt
Localised high current creates open circuits, shorts or weakened interconnects.
Passivation damage
Surface protection is ruptured, increasing contamination and moisture susceptibility.
Parameter shift
The part remains functional but no longer meets leakage, gain, timing, noise or optical requirements.
ESD versus Electrical Overstress
| Characteristic | ESD | General EOS |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Accumulated electrostatic charge. | Power supplies, transients, incorrect connection, sequencing or induced current. |
| Duration | Usually extremely short. | May be transient or sustained. |
| Energy | Limited but concentrated with high peak current. | Can be substantially greater. |
| Control | Grounding, bonding, ionisation, EPA and packaging. | Design protection, current limiting, correct test and power control. |
| Failure analysis | Requires evidence; do not label all electrical damage as ESD. | Look for thermal damage, wrong voltage, polarity or power-sequence evidence. |
ESD Control Project
Create a risk-based programme and EPA control plan.
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Process Risk Assessment
Dynamic ESD Control Plan
| Process step | ESD risk/source | Required control | Method / limit | Verification & frequency | Reaction | Owner / record | Action |
|---|
Printable ESD Signage Templates
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ESD Programme and EPA Audit
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ESD Control Plan Report
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