ESD educational resources: excellent ESD resources do exist--if you know where to look.

Over the course of a year, I receive a number of questions concerning electrostatic discharge (ESD). Often, the questions deal with specific situations, such as "Our boards are being damaged by ESD in the production process. How do we correct the problem?" Other questions may deal with more basic issues, such as "Do we need to ground our work surfaces?"

Overcome the Obstacles

Some may feel that problems associated with ESD are relegated to the past, but recurring problems tell a different story. The industry is constantly changing: personnel change job assignments; new companies enter the manufacturing business; existing companies merge; and new products are introduced weekly. The need for continuous training and education exists--not just for production line employees, but also for those responsible for the development and implementation of ESD control programs.

Many challenges to continuing education exist for most ESD managers. The first obstacle is allocating time and commitment for training while surrounded by, what seem to be, more pressing matters--new employees to train or investigating what caused the shutdown of a production line. Secondly, a manager must actually identify the educational opportunities and resources available. ESD courses are usually not found among the offerings at engineering schools and community colleges or in technical catalogs. Texts discussing ESD do exist but are not easily found at local technical or public libraries.

A Starting Point 

A good place to start the search for available resources, from information on device sensitivity to implementing an ESD control program, is the annual EOS/ESD Symposium. This year, the event will be held October 6-10, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. The symposium, now in its 24th year, presents technical papers, tutorials, workshops and exhibits--focused on educational opportunities in three primary tracks: factory and materials, design and device technology and magnetic recording.

Technical sessions will feature more than 50 papers covering on-chip protection; systems issues; magnetic recording issues; radio frequency (RF); transmission line pulsing; materials; and factory issues. In addition, interactive workshops offer opportunities for peer discussion.

Other Helpful Resources

A number of local ESD Association (Rome, NY) chapters throughout North America provide educational opportunities. Regular meetings, regional tutorials and networking opportunities offer members the chance to expand knowledge. A listing of these local chapters can be found at www.esda.org. The Web site can also direct visitors to standards-related documents, textbooks, technical reports, handbooks and proceedings from past EOS/ESD symposia.

Many suppliers of ESD products and services sponsor educational seminars. Trade publications regularly run articles focused on ESD. Industry trade shows often include ESD seminars and technical sessions. If more information is needed on device sensitivity, visit the ITT Research Institute/Reliability Analysis Center (Rome, NY) at http://rac.iitri.org. The organization issues a publication containing ESD susceptibility data for approximately 22,000 devices.

Looking for a supplier of ESD control products or services? Check out trade publication directories, industrial directories or the ESD Control Products File published by SAR Associates (Rome, NY) at www.sar101.com.

Conclusion

Information concerning ESD may, at times, seem difficult to locate, but great resources do exist! Begin researching opportunities available to aid in improving ESD knowledge and expertise. Using the knowledge provided can greatly improve the ESD control program at your facility.

Michael T. Brandt is a publicity consultant to the ESD Association and president of Marketing Resources Ltd., Rockford, IL; e-mail: [e-mail]. This column is a regular contribution of the ESD Association, Rome, NY; [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail].