Understanding ESD Protection - Why is ESD Protection Important in Electronics Manufacturing?

2025.06.26. 12:03

Today’s technology is advancing rapidly. We are building devices that are smaller, faster, and capable of doing more — all powered by extremely small electronic components.

Modern cars contain many sensors and control units. Our homes have “smart” appliances. Portable devices can check our blood sugar or blood pressure. Phones and other communication tools are now deeply integrated into everyday life.

As these devices become more advanced, the components inside them continue to shrink. The smaller a component is, the more sensitive it becomes to electrostatic discharge (ESD). This means that even a tiny static discharge — one we might not even notice — can damage an expensive chip.
For this reason, manufacturers need to consider ESD protection already in the design stage, as both quality and reliability depend on it.

Moore’s law and ESD

Moores law

Licensed under CC-BY by the authors Hannah Ritchie and
Max Roser

Back in the 1960s, Gordon Moore1 noticed that the number of transistors in computer chips roughly doubled every two years, while the parts kept getting smaller. Because of this, modern circuits are very sensitive to ESD.

The vulnerability of the latest technologies

Chips made with 5 or even 3 nanometers technology have extremely thin wires and special materials. This means that even a tiny discharge can damage them. Especially vulnerable are:

  • Advanced 3D-structured transistors (such as FinFET and GAA), which expose more surface area to potential ESD damage

  • New memory technologies (including MRAM, ReRAM, and 3D NAND) that are also highly ESD-sensitive

The hidden danger: latent ESD damage

One of the risks of ESD is that the damage is not always immediately visible. A product may appear flawless after manufacturing, yet a tiny internal defect can remain within a component. This defect might only become apparent later — sometimes weeks or even months afterwards — often when the product is already in use by the customer. Such latent damage can shorten the product’s lifespan, cause failures, and reduce customer trust. This not only creates frustration for the user, but can also result in costs and reputational damage for the manufacturer.
latent ESD damage

Why is it worth investing in ESD protection?

For electronics manufacturers, ESD protection should not be seen as an unnecessary expense, but as an investment that delivers a return.
With effective protection in place, manufacturers can achieve:

• Lower scrap rates during production
• More reliable products with longer lifespans
• Reduced warranty and repair costs
• Fewer product recalls
• Better-controlled and more efficient manufacturing processes
• Higher and more consistent product quality

Gábor Lovász, Ph.D.

Technical information
The text has been formatted with the help of artificial intelligence, allowing it to be shaped to enhance the reading experience.

Reference literature

  1. Cramming more components onto integrated circuits, reprinted from Electronics, Volume 38, Number 8, April 19, 1965, pp.114 ff.
  2. Roser, M., Ritchie, H., & Mathieu, E. What is Moore's Law?. Our World in Data. 2023.03.28. Available: https://ourworldindata.org/moores-law

ESD logo

I would ask for help regarding ESD protection 

 

ajanlat@destsa.hu

+36 (27) 502 555

Partners