Electrostatic discharge is a primary concern for electronic assemblies from the integrated circuit level right up to the end product. Much science and engineering has gone into developing protection circuitry and handling techniques to reduce the likelihood of damage by ESD. A vital aspect of electrostatic discharge susceptibility is related to  shielding of the microcircuits that have increasingly small gate widths and dielectric thicknesses. Huge amounts of resources have been invested in mitigating the effects of ESD. One part of the solution is to adequately shied the circuitry that does not have direct exposure to the outside world. Part of the qualification for ESD ruggedness of a final product is to zap (that's actually a technical term) the chassis in multiple locations to be sure there are no breaches in shielding that will permit a discharge path inside.

Please see the EMC / EMI / RFI Resources page for more related links.

Battling a BattleBot ESD Issue

Amateur Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) & Electrical Overstress (EOS) Books

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) & Electrical Overstress (EOS) Manufacturers & Services

An Introduction to ESD Article by The ESD Association.Basic Concepts in Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) 401-433-7000 / Rhode IslandArticle from Reade Advanced Materials. Boedeker Plastics, Inc 800-444-3485 / Shiner, TXResources on static electricity, resistivity test methods, ESD materials categories, and available ESD materials (static dissipative & conductive). Electrostatic Discharge Association 315-339-6937 / Rome, NYA professional voluntary association dedicated to advancing the theory and practice of electrostatic discharge (ESD) avoidance. Electrostatics Society of AmericaA nonprofit professional society founded in 1970 that is devoted to the advancement and improved understanding of electrostatics. EOS/ESD Damage IdentificationIncludes junction damage, carbonized epoxy (plastic), oxide rupture, damaged metal or poly melted bond wire, ruptured package. From National Semiconductor. ESD/EOSFrom the 2000 Packaging Databook, Intel. ESD JournalOnline magazine featuring current news, articles, papers, and links related to ESD. SD plastics.com 408-778-5038 / Morgan Hill, CAProvides product information links, articles on conductive plastics, ESD testing and processing as well as networking opportunities with other members and top suppliers in the ESD plastics industry. Failure Analysis Techniques for Semiconductors and Other Devices From RF Design Magazine, by V. Lakshminarayanan. Human Body Model (HBM) Testing StandardThis method establishes a standard procedure for testing and classifying microcircuits according to their susceptibility to damage or degradation by exposure to a defined electrostatic Human Body Model (HBM) discharge (ESD).

Journal of ElectrostaticsThe goal of the Journal of Electrostatics is the dissemination of knowledge relating to static electricity. The Journal addresses the interests of physicists, chemists, biologists, electrical, and aeronautical engineers, as well as those working in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and meteorology. Machine Model (MM) Testing StandardThis method establishes a standard procedure for testing and classifying microcircuits according to their susceptibility to damage or degradation by exposure to a defined Machine Model (MM) electrostatic discharge (ESD). International Association of Radio & Telecommunications Engineers (iNARTE) 800-89-NARTE / Medway, MA Worldwide, non-profit, professional telecommunications association which certifies qualified engineers and technicians in the fields of Telecommunications, Electromagnetic Compatibilty/Interference (EMC/EMI), Product Safety (PS), Electrostatic Discharge control (ESD) and Wireless Systems Installation. Pre-Pulse Voltage in the HBM ESD ModelArticle from Conformity, by Robert Ashton.   Save the Boards - ESD GuidelinesFrom Plug-in Storage® Systems, Inc. Shocking Shampoo BottleThis article describes the physics and solutions to a severe consumer relations problem, from ESD Journal, by Dave Swenson - 3M, reprinted from the EOS/ESD Symposium 1997 proceedings.