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Electrostatic discharge (ESD), the transfer of electrostatic charge between objects at different potentials, is a modern-day challenge in many high-tech manufacturing and inspection environments. Yet, it also has a history rooted in the ancient past.
Electric charge was discovered as early as 600 B.C. when the Greeks discovered that rubbing amber with wool causes other objects to be attracted to the amber. In fact, the Greek word for amber is "elektron," which is where we get the English word "electron." What's more, the idea of guarding against damage from ESD dates as far back as the 15th century, when European military organizations used various processes for the handling and storing of munitions.
The discovery of the semiconductor and its integration into modern-day electronics has driven the need for the development and institution of ESD-protective practices and materials in the electronics and computer manufacturing industries.
Protection from electrostatic discharge, which can be initiated either by triboelectrification through direct contact or induced by an electric field caused by a charged object, is crucial when working with devices that are susceptible to damage from an ESD event. The susceptibility of semiconductor devices to ESD events is one factor behind the design and advancement of ESD-protective manufacturing and inspection equipment.
In the competitive and ever-changing electronics marketplace, the demand for ESD-protective industrial process equipment becomes significant in order to yield greater manufacturing throughput and increased product reliability. Classified as either conductive or dissipative, ESD-protective materials limit the generation of electrostatic charges, dissipate electrostatic charges or provide shielding from electric fields.
Why You Need ESD-Safe Lighting
The consequences of working without ESD-safe equipment can be, frankly, quite devastating. In the late 1970s, component and system failures due to ESD events in the electronics industry escalated almost exponentially. Many manufacturing facilities...