Evaluation of Microprocessor
ESD Compliance
Common Mistakes When Selecting a Static Contol Floor by David Long
Image provided by Flexco
S
ince the invention of the first microprocessor by Intel in 1971, there has been a steady drive to create smaller, faster and more complex electronic circuitry. According to the Sematech Roadmap for Semiconductors (www.sematech.org), the continued scaling of tiny, lighteningquick electronic devices has, and will continue to, generate significant challenges for designers and, by extension, users of next generation semiconductors. Many of these challenges will involve the need for stringent static control procedures from wafer fabrication facilities all the way through to computer rooms and any space where electronic devices are handled, stored or used. Ted Dangelmayer, a leading authority on ESD, says “this rapid advance of technology and the associated design constraints are producing devices with ever increasing sensitivity to ESD. A recent benchmarking study of integrated circuit suppliers indicated that ESD will be one of the top three reliability concerns within the next five years and already is with certain products.” Static discharge is certainly not a new phenomenon to the computer industry. For years static has been documented as a significant contributor to serious problems, including computer freeze-ups, loss of data, dropped phone calls and, in the worst cases, head crashes, failures of semiconductors and
ultimately shutdowns of mission critical operations involving computer and telephony equipment used in military and health and safety applications. Static problems are particularly acute in hospitals, server rooms, 9-1-1 call centers and flight control towers. And the introduction of the next generation of faster more sensitive components will only elevate these concerns. The combination of the ubiquitous reliance on electronic devices and the increased sensitivity of those devices to static electricity are forcing facilities
Common Mistakes When Selecting a Static Contol Floor by David Long
Image provided by Flexco
S
ince the invention of the first microprocessor by Intel in 1971, there has been a steady drive to create smaller, faster and more complex electronic circuitry. According to the Sematech Roadmap for Semiconductors (www.sematech.org), the continued scaling of tiny, lighteningquick electronic devices has, and will continue to, generate significant challenges for designers and, by extension, users of next generation semiconductors. Many of these challenges will involve the need for stringent static control procedures from wafer fabrication facilities all the way through to computer rooms and any space where electronic devices are handled, stored or used. Ted Dangelmayer, a leading authority on ESD, says “this rapid advance of technology and the associated design constraints are producing devices with ever increasing sensitivity to ESD. A recent benchmarking study of integrated circuit suppliers indicated that ESD will be one of the top three reliability concerns within the next five years and already is with certain products.” Static discharge is certainly not a new phenomenon to the computer industry. For years static has been documented as a significant contributor to serious problems, including computer freeze-ups, loss of data, dropped phone calls and, in the worst cases, head crashes, failures of semiconductors and
ultimately shutdowns of mission critical operations involving computer and telephony equipment used in military and health and safety applications. Static problems are particularly acute in hospitals, server rooms, 9-1-1 call centers and flight control towers. And the introduction of the next generation of faster more sensitive components will only elevate these concerns. The combination of the ubiquitous reliance on electronic devices and the increased sensitivity of those devices to static electricity are forcing facilities