Have you ever touched a metal surface just after walking across a carpet and gotten a shock?
What you are doing is building up a charge from the friction of your feet on a rug, transferring negative electrons and then touching the metal surface. This releases the stored energy to a more positively charged surface, resulting in an electrostatic discharge (ESD), also known as a spark or shock.
This simple activity can be detrimental to electronics, causing damage and failure to the integrated circuits. This could result in an expensive replacement of the equipment, a fire or an explosion.
An integrated circuit or IC chip is sensitive to this shock due to its size and not requiring much voltage during normal installation.
ESD can also cause the premature failure of mishandled electronic equipment. Though it may not always damage the board, it can become a continued nuisance that hinders production and creates costly expenses.
Yaskawa America, Inc.
ESD Prevention:
- Storage in an ESD bag when it is transported
- Using static wrist straps and grounding clip when handling the board or circuit
- Static discharge shoes
- Wearing ESD shoes and standing on a special ESD pad that is grounded
Other factors, like weather, can influence ESD. For example, static discharges are more likely in dry conditions because lower humidity offers less resistance.
yaskawa.com