Materials and Packaging

2/27/2010
HBM
ESD
MM Experts in EMI
CDM EMC
Materials and Packaging
©2009 BestESD Technical Services

Vladimir Kraz
vkraz@bestesd.com
MATERIALS FOR ESD

PROTECTION
HBM
MM
CDM
2
Why ESD Materials?

• To prevent hard discharges to components
• To prevent charging of components
• To dissipate charges from components
• To shield components from static fields
• Proper choice of materials is important
• Do not be satisfied with “generic” ESD materials
HBM
MM
CDM
3
1
2/27/2010
ESD Protection: Fundamentals
• The entire ESD

protection rests on
three legs:
• Materials (charge)
• Grounding
• Ionization

• All three must be solid
HBM
MM
CDM
4
Which Materials to Select?

• Static-dissipative materials are always a better choice than
conductive ones for direct contact with the devices
• Even static-dissipative or conductive materials can
tribocharge encapsulation of the devices –
be aware of this
• Check performance of materials in all directions – often the
material may have good dissipative properties on the
surface but not across

• Establish qualification and periodic re-qualification of your
sources
HBM
MM
CDM
5
Right and Wrong Ways to

Select Materials
Common Approach Results-Based Approach
• Test for resistivity and assume that this • Analyze your process
does it for tribocharge • Analyze the materials that you cannot
• Test for tribocharge with wrong materials change
• Specify too wide of a range of resistivity • Conduct tribocharge tests properly with
• Neglect to conduct continuous control the materials and in the process you are
over incoming materials – batches may using
be inconsistent • Specify narrower ranges for resistivity
• Rely solely on ESDA standards without • Have on-going control over incoming
regards to your process materials

• Establish tight control over your own
materials (encapsulation)
• Conduct periodic audits of actual
HBM tribocharges in your process
MM
CDM
6
2
2/27/2010
Materials – Charge
• Analyze your process and materials
used in your process
+ Acetate
Glass
Nylon
Wool
• Select materials of trays, bags, Lead
Aluminum
containers, covers, etc. such that Paper
Cotton
Wood
they are close to your materials on a Steel
Hard Rubber
tribocharge chart MYLAR
Nickel
Copper
• Create a list of “no-no” materials and Brass

Gold
combinations that you should never Acrylic
Polyurethane
use Polyethylene
PVC
Silicon
TEFLON
MM
HBM
CDM
- Si Rubber
A Case of Bad Trays:

Influence of Tray Material on Charge Generation and
on Discharges
HBM
MM
CDM
8
Materials: Test Voltage Matters!
• Resistivity test on materials is usually done using

100V
• This may provide you with misleading results
• Resistivity of some materials is non-linear with
voltage -- at high voltages resistivity can be much
lower than at low voltages
• Specify and perform your resistivity test at voltages

comparable to your devices’ damage levels
HBM
MM
CDM
9
3
2/27/2010
Discharges and Dissipative

Material
• Would a discharge occur
when a device contacts
dissipative material?
YES!

• Properties of material
determine the waveform of the
MM
HBM
discharge
CDM
10
Discharges to Dissipative
Materials
• Discharges to dissipative materials have slower rise
time – good
• Discharges to dissipative materials have longer
discharge time, i.e. more energy – bad
• When selecting dissipative materials, don’t settle just
for resistivity data – this could be misleading
• Always check for discharges to the material

• Materials with resistivity of 106 ; or less can produce
discharges to components
HBM
MM
CDM
11
Qualification of Materials
• When analyzing materials for

discharges, do not rely solely
on resistivity numbers
• Lumped model vs. distributed
model for bulk plastics
• Specify and perform
discharge test for each type

of materials
HBM
MM
CDM
12
4
2/27/2010
Materials: Isotropic vs.

Anisotropic
• Some materials, especially sheet

materials, do not have isotropic
resistivity, i.e. their resistivity is
not the same in all directions
• This may lead to serious

problems
HBM
MM
CDM
13
Materials: Isotropic vs.

Anisotropic
• If the tray is conductive on the
surface only, the parts in the tray
will not have chance to dissipate
charge to the surface of the
bench or tool
• In the stack of tray as shown,
ionization won’t help them either
• Specify and test resistivity in all
dimensions
HBM
MM
CDM
14
Materials: Resistivity
Uniformity
• Due to the nature of vacuum forming
and injection molding processes the
materials may not have required
uniformity, especially in corners and
in bends
• This may render ESD properties of
the tray useless
• Always check resistivity of trays in all

areas
HBM
MM
CDM
15
5
2/27/2010
Dissipative Surfaces: Mats

• The main purpose of the mat is to provide “soft landing” of
charged objects
• When a component or an assembly is put on a conductive
surface, discharge is imminent
• Dissipative mats “slow down” the discharge, this greatly
reducing possibility of damage

• Mats themselves should be properly grounded so that the
boards and components resting on them are at ground
potential
HBM
MM
CDM
16
Mats: Construction
• Solid mat material
• The worst kind – provides uneven
and too high resistive path to
ground
• Conductive (black) bottom

• Good uniform resistive path to
ground
• Conductive middle
• Good uniform resistive path to
HBM ground
MM
CDM
17
Mats: Properties
• A good-quality mat should provide ~109 Ohms
dissipative path to ground
• Surface of the mat is critical
• Keep it clean
• Surface loses its resistive properties with time
• Replace mats on schedule (once a year or 18

months)
HBM
MM
CDM
18
6
2/27/2010

PACKAGING
HBM
MM
CDM
19
Why Packaging?
• To protect devices against physical elements
– Shock
– Humidity
• To protect devices against direct discharge
• To protect device against charging to prevent
eventual discharge
• To safely dissipate accumulated charges

• To shield devices from strong electric field
HBM
MM
CDM
20
Tubes
• What do you think is
happening on this picture:
a) Proper packaging of the
devices
b) Extremely bad ESD
practice
• How do you test your
tubes?
HBM
MM
CDM
21
7
2/27/2010
What Does Tube Protect

Your Devices From?
• Properly sealed tube protects against physical
elements
• Direct discharge
• Electric field
– Does not offer much protection, but since the device is
not grounded, it is of little importance

• Offers marginal equalization of voltage between the
devices inside
HBM
MM
CDM
22
What Problems Can Tube

Introduce
• Devices can generate substantial charge by sliding
in and out the tube
• Material of tube and material of encapsulation of
your devices are not necessarily close to each other
on tribocharge scale
• Do you know the material of your tubes?
• Do you know the tribocharge properties of your

encapsulation?
HBM
MM
CDM
23
Down the Tube

• IC is sliding down the tube in
gravity handlers and alike
• Wrong choice of materials
between encapsulation and
tube material charges device’s
package
• Via capacitive coupling the
silicon is now charged
• Coming in contact with the test

socket and/or stop pin,
discharge is imminent
HBM
MM
CDM
24
8
2/27/2010
Bags
• Several Main Types
– Dissipative Poly Bags (pink)
– Conductive Poly Bags (black)
– Static Shielding Bags (metal inside)

HBM
MM
CDM
25
Pink Poly Bags

• 109 .. 1011 Ohms
• No shielding ability - static field or
discharge occurring outside the bag
will penetrate the bag and expose
devices inside
• Pink is just a coloration – it offers no
electrical properties
• For packaging of non-static sensitive
items
• For materials that will be in close
proximity to static sensitive devices
HBM
MM
CDM
26
Black Conductive Poly Bags

• Very conductive: 103..104 Ohms
• Can produce a discharge to
devices
• Offers limited shielding (~30%)
• Items have be removed to be
seen – invites unnecessary
ESD exposure
• Not recommended
HBM
MM
CDM
27
9
2/27/2010
Static Shielding Bags

• The best type of bags to use
• Contain internal metal layer to
provide shielding (up to 97%)
• Thicker metal layer provides
moisture vapor barrier
• Even thicker layer helps to shield
against EMI

• Have dissipative layers
• According to ANSI/ESD S-20.20,
when sensitivity is unknown, static
shielding packaging should be used
HBM
MM
CDM
28
Bags In and Out

• Metal Inside • Metal-In Bags
– The most “popular” type of bag
– Equalizes charges inside
– Dissipates charges
– Durable
• Metal Outside • Metal-Out Bags
– Dissipates charges quickly
– Prevents charge accumulation

of the entire bag
HBM
MM
CDM
29
Basic Rules for Using the

Bags
• Select the bag fit for the purpose – consult specialist at bag
manufacturing company. Catalog may not give you the
best advise
• Seal the bag and don’t open it until it is time for the device
inside to be used
• Use desiccant inside the bag
• Do not staple the bag!

• Label it well so that you don’t need to open it just to peek
inside
HBM
MM
CDM
30
10
2/27/2010
Basic Rules for Using the

Bags
• Bag may protect devices inside but not outside
• Sliding devices out the bag can charge them
• Make sure that unloaded devices do not come in
contact with metal or other conductive surface until
these devices have a chance to dissipate charge
• Bags have limited lifetime

• Manage your bag stock wisely
HBM
MM
CDM
31
ESD Shippers and Boxes

• Made of carbon-treated
paper
• Can be highly-conductive
on the surface
• Often corrugated
• Help to dissipate charges
during handling
• Devices usually don’t come
in direct contact with the
MM
surfaces
HBM
CDM
32
What About Regular

Cardboard Boxes?
• Regular paper absorbs humidity and under normal
conditions is naturally static-dissipative
• Glossy paper and alike does not absorb humidity
and can accumulate and hold charges
• Since typical cardboard boxes are made of a low-
cost non-glossy paper, they may well be static-
dissipative as well. However whatever dissipative

properties they may have, they are not controlled
HBM
MM
CDM
33
11
2/27/2010
JEDEC Trays
• Supposed to provide dissipation of
charges from the devices
• This is often not the case
• Devices may lay in the tray in a
way where their pins do not contact
the tray
• The tray may be too conductive
and the charged device may

experience a discharge
• The material of a tray may cause
tribocharge on a lifted device
HBM
MM
CDM
34
Do Dissipative Trays Help?

• Not when the device is lifted – device
is charged due to tribocharging
• Not if the device sits in the tray
without electrical contact
• Not if your device is less than 5 lb (is
this is the way you test the
conductivity of a tray?)
• Have you ever tested how fast the
charge goes away from the device

placed on a tray under its own
weight?
HBM
MM
CDM
35
Missing Link
• What is often missed in qualification and specification of
static-dissipative materials, including packaging, is proper
tribocharge properties
• Before charges can be dissipated, they need to be created
somehow, and difference in material properties between
encapsulation of your devices and the packaging materials
may cause undesirable charges
• Proper tribocharge evaluation should be done using your

encapsulation materials, not something else
HBM
MM
CDM
36
12
2/27/2010
Tribocharge Test
• Such tests can be highly
unrepeatable due to the nature
of friction
• Nevertheless, such tests are
very important
• When conducting such tests,
use the model of contact The sample to be tested is positioned alongside the sample carrier
resembling the actual use system that moves the test specimen to the front of the rubbing wheel.

The 5-inch diameter rotating wheel surface is normally a soft felt-Teflon
surface backed with 1-inch of soft foam. This wheel retracts backwards
• There are some exotic ways of and forward, making intimate contact onto the sample with a force of 3
pounds. It is rubbed at 200-rpm for exactly 10 seconds before the rubbing
testing for tribocharge which wheel is quickly retracted and the sample is slid in front of the sample
electrostatic detector head. The electrostatic detector head measures the
only government can afford: electrostatic voltage generated and records the voltage versus time over
HBM an 8 second period or less. The sample carrier shuttle then returns the
MM
specimen into the sample carrier rack whereby and the carrier rack
CDM advances to the next specimen. This cycle is repeated again until all 37
samples have been tested.
Over-Packaging
• ICs in a tube in a bag in a bag in a box –
sounds familiar?
• For ESD purposes an IC in a proper
tube is adequately protected to travel
outside of ESD protected area (EPA)
• The only benefit of a bag in this case is
a moisture barrier
• Cardboard box is not an ESD threat –
cardboard material of a typical brown
box absorbs humidity and is naturally

static-dissipative
• Review your packaging procedures to
eliminate unnecessary costs
HBM
MM
CDM
38
Tubs and Carriers

• This is a safe and convenient
way to store and to carry ESD-
sensitive boards and
assemblies
• Thing to watch for:
– Often such carriers have very low
resistivity (less than 103..104
Ohms). Contact of sensitive
parts with such container may

create a discharge
– If such container is not connected
to ground path, it can be charged
HBM to any voltage and provide strong
MM
CDM
discharge to sensitive products 39
13
2/27/2010

ENCAPSULATION
HBM
MM
CDM
40
Importance of Encapsulation
Material
• Usually, encapsulation is selected based on such
properties as
– Mechanical strength
– Temperature conductivity
– Temperature expansion
– Molding properties
• One critical parameter, however, is seldom considered
• This is the parameter that can save you money
HBM
MM
CDM
41
Encapsulation and
Tribocharge Properties
• In a course of IC manufacturing and of board assembly
encapsulation comes in contact with a variety of materials,
most of which are supposed to protect the device from ESD
• Tribocharge properties of encapsulation, however, are
seldom considered
• At any given IC manufacturer one can find several different
materials of encapsulation used for different devices
• These materials may have drastically different tribocharge

properties
HBM
MM
CDM
42
14
2/27/2010
Encapsulation in the Process

• When making contact with different materials in the
process, device encapsulation generates charge
• It is nearly impossible to be so lucky to randomly
use materials that are close on tribocharge scale to
the one of the encapsulation
• Depending on material, different devices may

experience different ESD exposure in different
processes
HBM
MM
CDM
43
Harmonizing Encapsulation
Materials
• If you are in any degree of control of + Acetate
Glass
which materials can be used for Nylon
Wool
encapsulation of your device: Lead

Aluminum
Paper
• Try to harmonize them from static- Cotton

Wood
Steel
generation point of view Hard Rubber
MYLAR
Nickel
• If your materials are grouped in one area Copper
Brass
of a tribocharge scale, it makes it so
Gold
Acrylic
Polyurethane
much easier to select and specify all the Polyethylene
PVC
materials used in your process, including Silicon
TEFLON
MM
packaging
HBM - Si Rubber
CDM
44
Q&A
HBM
MM
CDM
45
15
2/27/2010
Contact Information
Vladimir Kraz
BestESD Technical Services
Tel. 831-824-4052 FAX 206-350-7458
E-mail vkraz@bestesd.com
Web site http://www.bestesd.com

HBM
MM
CDM
46
16

Materials and Packaging

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Materials and Packaging

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2/27/2010

Materials and Packaging

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

MATERIALS FOR ESD

Why ESD Materials?

ESD Protection: Fundamentals

• The entire ESD

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

Which Materials to Select?

surface but not across

Right and Wrong Ways to

regards to your process materials

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

A Case of Bad Trays:

Materials: Test Voltage Matters!

• Resistivity test on materials is usually done using

• Specify and perform your resistivity test at voltages

Discharges and Dissipative

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

• Always check for discharges to the material

• When analyzing materials for

discharge test for each type

Materials: Isotropic vs.

• Some materials, especially sheet

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

Materials: Isotropic vs.

• Always check resistivity of trays in all

Dissipative Surfaces: Mats

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

• Conductive (black) bottom

• Replace mats on schedule (once a year or 18

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

• To safely dissipate accumulated charges

What Does Tube Protect

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

What Problems Can Tube

• Do you know the tribocharge properties of your

Down the Tube

• Coming in contact with the test

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

Pink Poly Bags

Black Conductive Poly Bags

Static Shielding Bags

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

Bags In and Out

– Prevents charge accumulation

Basic Rules for Using the

• Do not staple the bag!

Basic Rules for Using the

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

ESD Shippers and Boxes

What About Regular

dissipative as well. However whatever dissipative

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

Do Dissipative Trays Help?

charge goes away from the device

• Proper tribocharge evaluation should be done using your

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

box absorbs humidity and is naturally

Tubs and Carriers

parts with such container may

©2009 BestESD Technical Services

• This is the parameter that can save you money