what is esd

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the transfer of an electrical charge between two electrically charged objects. ESD can occur when two different conductive materials rub together, causing one material to become positively charged and the other to become negatively charged. When the electrically charged object comes into contact with another conductive material, such as a Styrofoam cup or plastic bag, a static charge is transferred and an ESD event occurs. ESD can cause harmful effects in industry, including explosions in gas, fuel vapor, and coal dust, as well as failure of solid-state electronics components such as integrated circuits. Manufacturers and users of integrated circuits must take precautions to avoid ESD. ESD prevention can be part of the device itself and include special design techniques for device input and output pins. External protection can also be used, such as ESD protection devices that suppress or remove ESD.