Replacement Preliminaries
Maintenance and Service Guide
4–3
4.4 Preventing Electrostatic Damage
Many electronic components are sensitive to electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Circuitry design and structure determine the
degree of sensitivity. Networks built into many integrated circuits
provide some protection, but in many cases, the discharge
contains enough power to alter device parameters or melt
silicon junctions.
A sudden discharge of static electricity from a finger or other
conductor can destroy static-sensitive devices or microcircuitry.
Often the spark is neither felt nor heard, but damage occurs.
An electronic device exposed to electrostatic discharge might not
be affected at all and can work perfectly throughout a normal
cycle. Or the device might function normally for a while, then
degrade in the internal layers, reducing its life expectancy.
