Machine model ESD tester for enhanced capacitor reliability

Electro-static discharge (ESD) is a common failure mode during field service and customer assembly. To develop and verify capacitor designs that are rugged during customer assembly and field service, sufficient quantities of devices need to be tested to determine larger failure voltage distributions than the minimal three required for product qualification. Using ESD voltage breakdown testing can more precisely simulate actual field failures when compared to using on-wafer DC ramp-to-failure voltage testing.