ESD Testing Solutions

ESD testing for semiconductor devices

All integrated circuits and microelectronics must have electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuits that pass industry compliance standards. Assessing their performance and robustness requires testing and simulation solutions.

 

What does electrostatic discharge do to microelectronic devices?

Electrostatic discharge causes localized increases in temperature that can damage small features and structures that make up semiconductor devices. Isolating such electrical faults is challenging. Advanced and highly sensitive testing equipment is needed to ensure that these devices can survive electrostatic discharge.
 

Why is ESD testing equipment important?

ESD testing equipment helps to prove that devices are in compliance with national, international, and industry ESD test standards. For example, the most common ESD compliance test, called human body model (HBM) testing, simulates the effect of a human discharging electrical energy into an electronic component.

 

We offer a range of equipment that suits all your ESD testing needs, including instruments for transmission-line pulse (TLP), HBM, latch-up, and charged device model (CDM) testing. The exact tool required will depend on the size and complexity of the device, so be sure to visit our instruments page to learn more about each platform.

ESD testing applications

Quality assurance

The most important area for ESD testing is assuring quality and compliance of finished devices to international and industry standards across multiple test models, such as human body model (HBM), charged device model (CDM), latch-up testing, and more.

Design validation

Integrated circuits (IC) are required to have ESD protection in their designs. Leveraging ESD simulation and testing equipment to determine whether these structures can withstand ESD events is an essential step before going to production. Both wafers and packaged die can be tested with our comprehensive coverage of device form factors.

Failure analysis

When failed parts are returned outside of their required specifications or having a suspected ESD failure in the field, our complete testing solutions can help to replicate and identify the root cause, in some cases informing further electrical and physical testing and diagnostics.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.