hi i'm working with some ESD sensitive chips and i want to know how best to handle them without damaging them cos' they are not just a bit costly but i had to import them into my country and i can't afford the time it will take to get new ones if i blow up the four i ordered.

i learnt that you can use a strap to connects you to the earth via a 1meg resistor but i don't have one. can i make one or what else can i do?

thanks

 

I think the 1MEG resistor is for protection from AC voltage lines and things like that. An ESD mat helps too.

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hi,
Yes you can make a wrist strap, use a old metal wrist bracelet with a 470K or 1M0 resistor in series with the grounding wire.

The resistor is VITAL for your safety.

Make sure the ground you connect to is actually grounded.

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Eric
"Good enough is Perfect"

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For practicality I recommend using an ankle variant, wrist straps can be a hindrance when working on equipment.

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The resistor also helps to make the discharge less abrupt and use decent high voltage resistor.

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Yup, very important!

The resistor has two vital functions:
Function #1 is safety
Function #2 is to SLOWLY discharge ESD, between you, the parts, and your work area thus ensuring that all three are at the same electrical potential.

You can be at ground potential (zero charge) and still damage an ESD sensitive part if you touch it, and there is a small charge on the part.

Here are a few facts regarding ESD. (One of my job duties is ESD administrator at my company)

Most people can not feel an ESD discharge of less than 2000-4000 volts. When handeling parts, keep in mind some parts can be damaged by as little as 10-100 volts.

70-90% of certain electronic failures can be traced back to ESD damage and about 70% of those failures are caused by improperly grounded personnel.

Generally speaking, the best way to handle sensitive parts is to keep them in their original packaging, and only remove them from the packaging when you and the workstation are grounded via a 1 Meg resistor.

ULOT: Is the info in various posts in this thread enough? If not reply back, and I'll be happy to elaborate in more detail.

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If you use an ankle strap, you will need a discharge medium such as conductive paint or a ESD floor mat.