Electrostatic Protected Area

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An Electrostatic Protected Area (electrostatically protected area, short EPA) or an ESD workstation is, in which an area electrostatic charges, often by triboelectricity will arise prevented by antistatic treatment. In accordance with the current ESD standards, the maximum permissible electrostatic charges for ESD protection zones are specified as 100 V in accordance with the human-body model . This serves to protect against electrostatic discharge ( English Electro-Static Discharge , ESD) damage the sensitive electronic components or may destroy it.

Electrostatically protected areas and ESD individual workstations are required in almost all electronics and semiconductor production.

Dissipative floor coverings, table coverings, tool handles, packaging material and clothing are used. At ESD workstations, the human body is held at ground potential with a ground strap on the wrist. The grounding strap ensures a defined conductive connection to ground, typically via an electrical resistance of one megohm .

When it comes to materials, a distinction is made between electrostatically dissipative (dissipative) and electrostatically conductive (conductive) materials. The former only have additional components that slightly increase their electrical conductivity compared to insulating materials. This prevents electrostatic charging, but at the same time ensures that electrostatic discharges occurring in relation to these are only possible with a low current intensity.

Electrostatically conductive materials, on the other hand, have a high electrical conductivity due to the incorporation of metallic threads, graphite webs or particles, graphite or metal layers.

Electrostatic charges and their field strength on machines and equipment can be determined with a field meter .

literature

  • DIN EN 61340-5-1 Electrostatics - Part 5-1: Protection of electronic components against electrostatic phenomena - General requirements (IEC 61340-5-1)
  • DIN EN 61340-5-1 Supplement 1 Electrostatics - Part 5-1: Protection of electronic components against electrostatic phenomena - User manual
  • Hartmut Berndt: Electrostatics - VDE series standards understandable . 3. Edition. VDE Verlag , Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-8007-3049-0 .