What is esd, problems related to it and volumetric esd

Author: Mayur Mhaske

What is ESD

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short or dielectric breakdown.

ESD requires a build-up of an electrostatic charge. This occurs when two different materials rub together. One of the materials becomes positively charged, the other becomes negatively charged. The positively-charged material now has an electrostatic charge. When that charge comes into contact with the right material, it is transferred and we have an ESD event.

The heat from the ESD event is extremely hot, although we do not feel it. However, when the charge is released onto an electronic device such as an expansion card, the intense heat from the charge can melt or vaporize the tiny parts in the card causing the device to fail.

Sometimes an ESD event can damage a device, but it continues to function. This is a called a latent defect, which is hard to detect and significantly shortens the life of the device.

Familiar examples of ESD:

  • Hairs get attracted towards glass rod rubbed on woolen material.
  • Shock we receive when we walk across a carpet and touch a metal doorknob.
  • The static electricity we feel after drying clothes in clothes dryer.
  • A lightning bolt due to rubbing of clods.

While most ESD events are harmless, it can be an expensive problem in many industrial environments.

Problems due to ESD

  • Catastrophic Failures- Catastrophic failure causes a failure in an ESD?sensitive item that is permanent and it shows result fast.
  • Latent Defects- Latent defects show result slow. During first check it passes test but after some period of time it starts showing effects like failure in systems, delays in signals. Latent defects can be very expensive as the product passes all inspection steps, and the product is completed and shipped.

Volumetric ESD

Volumetric ESD is when the worktop is integrated with conductive carbon polymers, which makes the entire worktop conductive with dissipative lamination on both the sides of the workstation.

This is a patented technology of ERFI GmbH, which ensures lifetime ESD protection of the workbench.

Messung-ERFI Workstations are designed and certified with DIN EN 312- Standard for High Pressure Laminated Worktop and DINEN 13150, EN 60335-1 and DIN VDE 0789- Standard for Safety requirements for laboratory and cleanroom workstations.