ESD Control Chemicals: Preventing Static Damage in Electronics

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage electronic components such as microchips or other sensitive devices, or even cause an explosion by igniting a gas or powder. To prevent ESD from damaging equipment, help is at hand in the form of ESD control chemicals and other technologies that guard against ESD’s effects. Read on to learn how to combat electrostatic discharge and prevent damage to electronics.

ESD is the sudden release of a stored electrical charge between two objects. A familiar example is when your body builds up a static electrical charge by walking on a carpet and releases that charge when you touch a metal door handle, generating a mild electric shock. That’s because the charged object (your body) has touched a conductor (the door handle), causing discharge. A similar effect can occur if you touch an electronic component such as a microchip. In this case, the discharge has the potential to damage the component. Components may be damaged by even very small discharges (in the order of tens of volts, for example).

But this damage may be invisible. That makes it hard to detect, even as it weakens or destroys electronic components. You may only notice the impact when your device fails or its performance becomes erratic, subject to random freezes or glitches. ESD could be the culprit.

Electrical testing and inspection using a microscope are two of the methods used to detect damage caused by ESD. Thermal cameras can also be used to detect unusual heating patterns. Multimeters or testing using other types of tools may reveal short circuits or that a device is operating outside normal parameters. There are also specialist ESD testers available, which detect alterations in the electrical characteristics of transistors and integrated circuits. The cost of ESD damage in the electronics industry is huge: It may run as high as $5 billion.

Help is at hand when it comes to preventing damage caused by ESD. ESD control chemicals are designed to prevent or reduce the build-up of static electricity and are widely used in electronics manufacturing, cleanrooms, and repair environments where ESD has the potential to damage components. These specialty chemicals include anti-static spray, electronics, and ESD safe cleaning. These technologies help to prevent damage, extend the life of components, and maintain compliance with ESD standards.

There are numerous everyday products that use chemicals to prevent static discharge. For example, anti-static cleaners help ensure a manufacturing environment is ESD-safe, free of not only static, but also dirt and debris. Anti-static sprays reduce static buildup, while topical anti-static coatings can be applied to surfaces or materials. There are also products available that ensure shopfloors are free from the build-up of static charges and special floor cleaners that won’t leave static-friendly residue behind. When it comes to workers, anti-static chemical products include hand lotions that prevent the build-up of static on dry skin. These can be employed by employees who frequently handle electronic components. Cleanrooms may also use ionisers to prevent the build-up of static charges.

Anti-static sprays and coatings prevent the build-up of static on surfaces. Sprays may be liquids sprayed onto surfaces such as workbenches, desks, clothing, or tools, reducing the resistivity of the surface and dissipating static. Another type of ESD control chemical is a permanent coating that is applied to the floor of a cleanroom or manufacturing facility to prevent static build-up.

Anti-static sprays work by coating surfaces with a conductive or semi-conductive microscopic film that enables static electricity to dissipate safely rather than building up and being discharged suddenly. Spraying an anti-static agent lowers the resistivity of the surface in question, meaning excess electrons flow away gradually from it instead of building up.

Some sprays are also designed to increase humidity on the surface that’s being treated, which helps reduce the chance of ESD as static builds up readily in drier environments. Sprays tend to feature elements such as surfactants (which reduce static charge build-up) and quaternary ammonium compounds or conductive polymers to dissipate electrons. Static charges will dissipate into the air or grounded surfaces instead of building up on the surface protected by the spray. All of this helps prevent damage to sensitive components during manufacturing.

ESD-safe encompasses environments, equipment, materials, and tools that have been treated to prevent electrostatic discharge. If an item in a cleanroom or factory is designated ESD-safe, it means it prevents static build-up and dissipates electrical charges safely. To do this, it typically uses conductive and dissipative materials. ESD-safe tools might include screwdrivers, pliers with conductive handles, or special tweezers. There are also ranges of ESD-safe clothing, flooring, packaging, and work surfaces on the market.

ESD-safe cleaning for sensitive environments involves employing specially designed solutions that clean surfaces while not generating static electricity. They don’t leave behind residues that would make a surface vulnerable to the build-up of static. To be ESD-safe, cleaners need low ionic content to minimise static generation and to be safe to use without damaging ESD-safe materials such as mats, wrist straps, or packaging.

If you ever visit an electronics manufacturing facility, cleanroom, or laboratory, it’s likely to feature conductive floor coatings in the work areas. These special types of flooring coating are designed to conduct static electricity away from people and sensitive equipment to ground. There are numerous types of anti-static flooring available, including conductive vinyl tiles, rubber mats, epoxy flooring, and conductive carpet tiles – all designed to prevent the build-up of static charges. When combined with clothing such as ESD footwear, these types of flooring provide what is known as ‘full-body’ grounding for workers in electronics manufacturing facilities.

Building an ESD-safe environment involves considering how to prevent the build-up of static electricity in every possible way. If you are aiming for full ESD safety, you need more than just sprays. Items on the agenda should include ESD-safe equipment such as mats and wrist straps and cords (which ensure workers are grounded), clothing, tools, containers and packaging, workbenches, chairs, and anti-static flooring. Then you can use anti-static spray electronics and ESD-safe cleaning solutions to help reduce the build-up of static on all surfaces, too. Employees in the area should be trained in ESD safety and understand the principles of keeping the environment in which they operate ESD-safe.

Your ESD protection programme must be rigorously maintained to prevent problems with static. ESD-safe equipment and clothing should be regularly tested. ESD-safe cleaners should also be used regularly to keep the environment free from residue, dust, dirt, and so on, which might encourage the build-up of static charge. Conductive flooring and furniture should be deployed and maintained as required. Employees should be trained and receive ongoing refreshers on how to maintain an ESD-safe environment. It’s also a good idea to maintain humidity of about 40 – 60%, as dry air can lead to the build-up of static. 

Don’t forget that even a very small deviation from the regime could result in unseen damage to equipment and sensitive componentry.

Learn more about our range of ESD control equipment for cleanrooms.