The Dangers of Static Electricity to Chips
Computers are composed of circuit boards, many of which are manufactured using MOS technology. These circuits are highly sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD). When a person or object carrying static electricity touches these devices, an ESD event occurs. When this ESD high voltage impacts the MOS circuit, the internal oxide film is broken down and damaged, causing immediate damage or malfunction of the components. However, devices subjected to ESD usually do not immediately fail, which is why most people don't pay much attention to ESD. In fact, static electricity is ubiquitous in daily life. Experience shows that the static electricity that people can feel is at least 3.5kV, the static electricity that can be heard is at least 4.5kV, and the static electricity that causes a flash on a sweater is at least 5kV.
Besides directly damaging components, static electricity can also induce a latch-up effect (or parasitic silicon controlled rectifier effect) within the MOS circuit. This results in a significant increase in internal current within the MOS, causing internal logic malfunction and the so-called latch-up effect. Once the MOS circuit is locked, it will remain locked indefinitely as long as the power supply is not cut off. Over time, this can burn out the circuit or degrade its performance. For example, if a computer malfunctions (mouse stops working, printer alarms) due to hot-plugging a printer connector, the first remedial measure is to immediately shut down the computer.
Therefore, international organizations have specifically formulated corresponding standards, classifying ESD-induced electrical faults into the following categories:
1. Operational ESD Faults
When a person operating the computer carries static electricity and touches external parts of the computer such as the keyboard, mouse, or reset button, ESD may cause the following computer faults: computer restart, pause, or crash. Minor issues may require resetting or reinstalling software, while major issues may require hardware replacement.
2. Maintenance ESD Faults
When a person operating the computer carries static electricity and touches conductive metal parts inside the computer case, such as internal circuit boards or cards, the above faults may occur.
3. Repair ESD Faults
When a person operating the computer carries static electricity and touches the CPU, circuit boards, or other components, ESD can cause damage to these parts.
We recommend that you use this static electricity release device.
