Variations in Failure Modes and Cumulative Effects Produced by Commercial Human-Body Model Simulators

The sensitivity of an integrated circuit to electrostatic discharge (ESD) is becoming an important product attribute. The manufacturers of electronic equipment which contain these devices are seeking to reduce the negative impact of ESD on yields and product reliability by selecting components with lowest sensitivity (highest voltage thresholds) possible. In order to do this in a meaningful way, one needs an ESD test method which is consistent, transportable, and can be used with confidence by both vendors and users of semiconductor devices.