Abstract

The measures currently being taken to prevent electrostatic damage in semiconductor manufacturing environments are not sufficient to guarantee the complete protection of items that are highly sensitive to electric field. Mistakes that have been made in the interpretation of electrostatic damage phenomena in manufacturing and errors that have been made in attempting to provide protection against them are described. It is shown that some of the ESD countermeasures in widespread use today can actually increase the electrostatic risk for fieldsensitive items. The static dissipative materials that are commonly used to make pods and transport boxes are shown to expose field-sensitive items to a significant risk that can result in cumulative and permanent damage. It is concluded that more research into semiconductor device electrostatic damage mechanisms other than ESD is urgently needed, as has previously been called for by researchers studying the problem. It is also recommended that the electrostatic countermeasures being used in device manufacturing and handling should be reviewed and revised where necessary, to improve the protection of all extremely-electrostaticsensitive (EES) items.