Electrostatic Discharge and its Causes

Electrostatic Discharge is also called as 'ESD'.

• Electrostatic Discharge is the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact.

• ESD occurs when differently charged objects are brought close together.

• When they close to each other they often create a visible spark.

• Static electricity can damage electronic equipment without the knowledge of the technicians.

• The average person requires a static discharge of 3000 volts before he or she feels it.

• ESD can create spectacular electric sparks like lightning with the accompanying sound of thunder, it is a large scale ESD event.

• Also, less dramatic forms which may be neither seen nor heard, yet still be large enough to cause damage to sensitive electronic devices.

• Because of ESD integrated circuits like component s may suffer permanent damage.

Causes of electric discharge are as follows;

• ESD event is static electricity. Static electricity often generators through tribocharging, the separation of electric charges that occurs when two materials are brought into contact and then separated.

Tribocharging include -

• Walking on a rug
• Rubbing a plastic comb against dry hair

• Rubbing a balloon against a sweater

• Ascending from a fabric car seat
  

• Some types of plastic packaging.

• In all these cases, the breaking of contact between two material results in tribocharging.

• Another cause of ESD damage is through electrostatic induction.  This occurs when an electrically charged object is placed near a conductive object isolated from the ground.

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