ESDA Session on ESD at Annual 2025 Joint Conference on Electrostatics 

ESDA Session on ESD at Annual 2025 Joint Conference on Electrostatics 

Abstract Submission

Join us at the annual 2025 Joint Conference on Electrostatics, where you are invited to participate in all scientific and technical areas of electrostatics discussions, ranging from fundamental physics and new developments to applications in industry, atmospheric and space sciences, biology, medicine, energy, and other fields utilizing electrostatic phenomena.

Engage with our esteemed panel of experts on a variety of topics at our special technical session on electrostatic discharge (ESD), as featured below.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Featured Speakers:

Control of Static in Manufacturing
John Kinnear, EOS/ESD Association, Inc.

Today’s technology is highly sensitive to both static electricity and electrostatic discharge (ESD), making effective control measures essential in manufacturing environments. ANSI/ESD S20.20 has emerged as the leading flagship standard for ESD control, providing a comprehensive framework for mitigating static electricity risks. This presentation will explore the structure of ANSI/ESD S20.20 and its practical application in manufacturing, highlighting key strategies for maintaining ESD-safe environments.

John graduated from University of Buffalo with a BS in Electrical Engineer and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. John was hired by IBM where he worked for 46 years. As part of his role, John was the Subject Matter Expert in ESD control for IBM. This included developing and implementing ESD control processes at all the IBM manufacturing sites as well as assessing IBM’s suppliers for ESD control. The processes included wafer fab to large servers with all the processes required in between.

John has been a part of the ESD Association for over 30 years. He is currently chair of Working Group 20 which is responsible for ANSI/ESD S20.20, Development of an Electrostatic Discharge Control Program. John is also a member of various other standards working groups. He is also a founding member of the Technical Advisory Support Committee (TAS) which oversees all the ESD Association standards.

John is the chair of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 101 on electrostatics. John is also the project leader for IEC 61340-5-1 – Electrostatic Discharge Control Program. Before becoming the chair, John was the chief delegate for the United States.

John currently holds the position as Sr. Technical Manager for EOS/ESD Association, Inc.

Ionization in Industry: A Historical Perspective on Electrostatic Control and Manufacturing

Iad Mirshad, Simco-Ion

Ionization has played a pivotal role in industrial manufacturing, particularly in controlling electrostatic forces that impact product quality, efficiency, and safety. From early grounding techniques in textile production to advanced ionization systems in semiconductor fabrication, the evolution of ionization has been driven by the need to manage electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrostatic attraction (ESA). Industries such as aerospace, electronics, and pharmaceuticals have leveraged ionization technologies to minimize contamination, enhance material performance, and ensure the integrity of sensitive components. This presentation examines the historical trajectory of ionization in industry, highlighting the trends and strategies shaping the control of ESD and ESA in key manufacturing sectors.

Iad Mirshad has a PhD in physics from the University of California - Davis. He has worked as an applications scientist/engineer in semiconductor metrology and inkjet printing technology for advanced displays. Currently, he is a senior applications engineer at Simco-Ion.

Hazards and Mitigation Strategies of ESD in the Healthcare Environment

Tom Ricciardelli, SelecTech, Inc.

ESDA Workgroup 29-Healthcare has just released TR29 – “Guidance for Control of Electrostatic Hazards in Healthcare Facilities” which describes the electrostatic hazards encountered in healthcare environments and mitigation strategies that can be employed.  This presentation provides a summary of content of that document, which includes an overview of ESD events that have created documented hazards in healthcare settings and a detailed description of mitigation methods that can be employed to reduce the risks of these hazards.  We explore how static charge is commonly generated through various everyday activities, such as pulling sheets off a bed, unrolling tape, rolling a bed or cart across the floor, opening a catheter package, and even walking across the floor. These seemingly mundane actions can lead to significant ESD risks. Through this presentation, we highlight the importance of understanding and controlling ESD in healthcare settings to ensure the safety of staff and patients and ensuring the reliability of electronic medical equipment.

Tom Ricciardelli received a SB and SM in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1985 and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management in 1991.  In 1993, he founded SelecTech with the mission of creating valuable products from recycled materials.   He has over 20 years experience with developing unique polymer blends to meet demanding technical requirements and holds several patents for products and processes using recycled materials.  He was the first to conceive of and develop an adhesive-free, interlocking static-control flooring system which paved the way for the StaticStop line of industry-leading ESD flooring products.

With this product, he was flung headlong into the ESD industry and joined the ESD Association in 2013 to become more involved in the industry and better understand the full needs of his customers.  He is now the chair of WG 7 and a member of WG19, WG97, and the Marketing Communications committees.  “While I have a strong engineering background with degrees in chemical engineering, my knowledge of electronics and ESD was certainly limited.  Being involved in the ESD association, through the committees, the available training information, and generous support from other members, I’ve learned a vast amount about ESD and its control.  I particularly enjoy networking with the other members, working with them on the committees, and having a little fun during the free time.” 

Answers to Solving Electrostatic Attraction (ESA) Technical Challenges – ESD Technical Report TR 28

Carl Newberg, Simco-Ion

Electrostatic Attraction plagues many sectors of industry. Industries such as semiconductor wafer fabrication, aerospace, medical device manufacturing, and others experience significant losses due to scrap, rework, and lost productivity due to electrostatic attraction. While the phenomenon is anecdotally well understood, limited resources are available for those who want to exercise some control over ESA. EOS/ESD Association, Inc. is the leading international source of electrical overstress (EOS) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) control. The Association recognizes that other sources and organizations (such as the Journal of Electrostatics and the Institute of Environmental Sciences & Technology) or specific industry-segment focus groups (such as SEMI) address individual aspects of this multidisciplinary problem. However, there is not a comprehensive approach to controlling ESA in many of the industry documents available. As a result of this industry need, a working group was formed in 2018 to develop a document (ESD TR28) which has recently been published. This talk will review the content of TR28, highlighting the key parts of the document and how it addresses the needs of various industries.

Carl Newberg is the manager of the Applications Engineering Team at Simco-Ion Technology, an ITW Company. Simco-Ion develops ionization solutions for high-technology semiconductor, electronics, and life science manufacturing. He has a B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering, an M.S. Degree in Materials Science, and a professional engineer’s license (Met. Eng.). He was among the first to test and receive certification from the ESDA as a Certified ESD Program Manager. He held positions as the ESD Program Manager for Western Digital Corporation and has been actively involved in the corporate ESD and contamination control programs at Seagate Technology and IBM Corporation. Carl has been a member of the ESD Association since 1995, actively participating as a board member, on many other major committees, and as a tutorial instructor. He currently is the ESD Association working group chairman of WG3 (Ionization) and WG28 (Electrostatic Attraction). He is co-author of "Contamination and ESD Control in High Technology Manufacturing", a book published by John Wiley & Sons.

Click here for more info