The information con tain ed i n th is dat a s heet is intende d t o assi st you in designing w ith Rogers EL systems. It is no t in ten ded to and

does not create an y warranties, express or implied, includin g any warranty of merchantabilit y or fitness for a particular purpose or

that the results shown on the data sheet will be achieved by a user for a particular purpose. The user should determine the

suitability of Rogers EL drivers for each application.

LIT-T9010 A03 Page 1 of 2

Technical Note

Electrostatic Discharge Protection

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is the process of

accumulation of large amounts of charge on a body

and rapid, uncontrollable discharge through another

body with the possibility of causing damage. It is a

subset of EOS, Electrical Overstress, which is a

major concern in the electronics industry. ESD is

potentially hazardous to semiconductor devices.

Caution must be used when handling and testing

semiconductor devices in order to avoid possible

ESD damage to the semiconductor.

ESD events are typically characterized by low power

dissipation (limited energy) and last for short

periods, in the range of nanoseconds to

milliseconds. ESD may result in catastrophic

failures, but frequently result in performance

degradation or latent failures. Also, the cumulative

effect of repeated exposure can lead to complete

failure. Typical indications of ESD damage are gate

oxide breakdown, junction spiking, or input leakage

failures. ESD events typically occur with device

handling by automated handlers or assembly. The

fundamental mechanism of ESD is called

“tribocharging,” which occurs when different

materials come in contact with one another and then

separate, such as the sole of a person’s shoe as

they walk across a carpet, or when an IC rubs

against a rail on an automatic handler. The

magnitude of the charge generated is dependent

upon many factors, such as type of materials, speed

at which they rub together, and the relative humidity

of the environment.

Rogers recognizes the potential hazard of ESD to its

IC inverter products, and practices standard

procedures for ESD protection. All areas where

semiconductor devices are handled must implement

ESD prevention methods. Elements of standard

ESD prevention procedures are included herein and

highly recommended.

ESD PREVENTION METHODS

• Workstations should have conductive tabletops

and be properly grounded

• Gloves, finger cots, and clothing that are

recommended to be worn by personnel handling

parts must be of material that does not generate

electrostatic charges

• Grounded wrist straps for static control should

be worn when handling the device

• All parts should be handled by their packages

and not by the leads

• Use conductive/antistatic floors and floor mats

where appropriate

• Shoe straps should be used by personnel

working in areas where wrist straps may be

restrictive

• Relative humidity should be kept between 45 to

60% since static generation increases

exponentially as humidity decreases

• Use conductive/antistatic envelope for storage of

paper documentation acco mpanying product

• Use bags or tubes made of conductive and/or

static dissipative material for storing and

transporting product

• Soldering irons must have grounded tips

• Ionization devices should be used where

appropriate for neutralizin g static charge

• Avoid high dielectric materials or take

appropriate precautions when near

semiconductor devices

• Avoid hot socket insertions. Adopt proper power

supply sequencing techniques where

appropriate

Durel Division

2225 W. Chandler Blvd.

Chandler, AZ, USA 85224-6155

Tel: 480-917-6000 F ax: 480-917-6049

www.rogerscorporation.com

ISO 9001:2000, ISO/TS 16949:2002, and ISO 14001:2004 Certified

The information contained in this data sheet is intended to assi st you in designing wit h Rogers EL systems. It is not intended to and

does not create any warranties, express or implied, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purp ose or

that the results shown on the data sheet will be achieve d by a user for a particular purpose. The user should determine the

suitability of Rogers EL drivers for each application.

Rogers EL drivers are covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents: #5,313,141, #5,347,198; #5,677,599; #5,789,870; #6,043,610.

Corresponding foreign patents are issued or pending.

DUREL is a licensed trademark of Rogers Corporation

Revised 12/06 Publication # LIT-T9010 A03

The world runs better with Rogers.