ESD Protective Packaging Material for ESD Control Program

ESD sensitive items are not only susceptible to esd damage, but they are also susceptible to damage by shock and vibration during handling, transportation and storage.

Many ESD protective packaging materials are created by industries expert with the intent to protect ESD sensitive items from being damage by electrostatic discharge, shock and vibration.
Example of ESD protective packaging materials in the market place are:
• ESD box
• ESD bag
• ESD foam and bubble
• ESD tray
• Anti static tube
• ESD tape and film
• ESD rubber band

It is the responsibility of an ESD Coordinator to select and evaluate ESD packaging materials before they are introduced and used inside the ESD Protected area or EPA.

The ESD protective packaging materials can be evaluated and tested based on ANSI/ESD S541 standard which outline the testing methods and the performance limit for the ESD packaging materials.

Anything that is used outside the EPA area should be:
• low charging
• dissipative or conductive for intimate contact
• provide shielding from electric field and ESD

The definitions of material property are:

Dissipative:
A dissipative material has a surface resistance which falls in the range of
1x10E4 to <1x10E11 ohm or Volume resistance in the range of 1x10E4 to <1X10E11 ohm when tested in accordance to ANSI/ESD STM11.11 and ANSI/ESD STM 11.12 respectively.

Conductive:
A surface conductive material has a surface resistance < 1x10E4 ohm or a volume conductive material has a resistance < 1x10E4 ohm when tested in accordance to ANSI/ESD STM11.11 and ANSI/ESD STM 11.12 respectively.

Low charging:
A low charging material is a material which has a low charge generation when come in contact and separated from the other material.
And there is no correlation between resistance measurement and the ability of the material to be low charging.

Electric field shielding:
An electric field shielding material has a surface resistance < 1x10E3 ohm or a volume resistance < 1x10E3 ohm when tested in accordance to ANSI/ESD STM11.11 and ANSI/ESD STM 11.12 respectively.

This material has the ability to attenuate electric field emanating from a charged object.

Electrostatic discharge shielding:
An electrostatic discharge shielding material has the ability to attenuate the effect of ESD. The ESD shielding bag has < 50 nanojoules energy inside when tested in accordance to ANSI/ESD STM 11.31.

Many of the ESD protective packaging materials that are used inside EPA can be evaluated and tested by using an appropriate Surface Resistance Test kit.
It is the responsibility of the ESD Coordinator to decide the ESD packaging materials for use in his/her ESD Control Program.

Related Posts :