What is ESD?

ESD stands for ElectroStatic Discharge. Static electricity is an everyday phenomenon - there can be few of us who have not experienced a static shock after walking across a room and touching the door knob, or on getting out of a car.

Other static nuisance effects include the cling of some fabrics to the body, the sticking of a plastic document cover, or the attraction of dust to a TV or computer screen.

While we can feel some of these effects, static electricity is normally present at lower levels that we cannot feel, hear or see, but may nevertheless damage sensitive electronic components. It can build up rapidly on objects, in unexpected ways, to produce surprisingly high voltages.

People are great genrators of electrostatic charge and voltage, as shon by the common experience of electrostatic shocks we experience. (See our on-line articles on Static shocks and how to avoid them, and Why static charge builds up on people). To feel a static shock, most people need at least about 3000-4000V on their body. It may only take 100V, or even less, to damage an electronic component. This level of voltage can be nearly continuously present on our bodies without us knowing it or feeling any effects.

If two objects that have different voltages approach each other closely enough or touch, charge may pass from one object to the other in a fast electrostatic discharge. While this only lasts a microsecond or less, the peak discharge current can be several Amps and the peak power can be in the kiloWatt range!