Measurements of real ESD threats have been ignored too long

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuits are built into every pin of an integrated circuit (IC) to protect the core operating circuits. Many different standards groups have assumed the responsibility of producing ESD testing standards for the IC industry. The quality of ESD testing and their standards have suffered from a lack of measurement updates without an effort for periodic investigations of the real threat from ESD. Measurements to determine the real parameters of ESD threat have been ignored for too long. The present tests and standards will continue because organized ESD experts in standards groups are unconcerned with the real threat and can ignore the new data we have measured.