JulyAugust 2006

THRESHOLD The ESD Association newsletter, for everyone with an interest in the understanding and control of electrostatic discharge. ™ News bits Volume 21, No. 9 July /August 2006 In this issue Symposium .............................1 From the President. .................3 The local scene in Tucson. .....3 General Chair’s Welcome. .......4 Symposium Schedule .............5 Online course update. .............6 Corporate Membership. ...........7 Symposium fees. .....................7 Exhibit at Symposium. ............8 Volunteer Spotlight. .................9 Hotel Reservation Info. ............9 Septembe r meeting schedule1 0 Update on Standards. ............10 Symposium Information. .......11 Calendar. .................................12 Online Seminar The next online seminar, Developing an Electrostatic Protected Area, has been scheduled for October 11. See page 6 for more information. Accompany us in Tucson The EOS/ESD Symposium continues to take shape as we move into the final stages of preparation and organization. See page 1 for a summary of this year’s symposium schedule. 2006 Welcome This year the Symposium events promise to be both exciting and invaluably informa- tive. See page 4 for more information. the ESD Association Annual Meeting. As- sociation President KayAdams, Tech Wear, Inc., will present the Association’s annual report, including financial status, progress in new certification, education and standards programs, international activities, and the Association’s vision for the future. To help plan your participation, educa- tional events are programmed along three technical tracks: 1. ESD Test, FailureAnaly- sis, and Systems; 2. Factory, Materials, and ESD Control; and 3. Device, Design, and Technology. Select your area of interest and use the track designations to help fill your symposium experience with courses best suited to your area. These tracks serve as guidelines only—you may attend any event or session you wish. Tutorials Sunday, Monday, and Thursday of this year’s symposium will again be days dedicated to educational opportunities. Tutorials this year will include topics such as: Electrostatic Calculations for the ESD Engineer and TLP Measurements: Para- metric Analyzer for ESD On-Chip Protec- tion. Electrostatic Calculations for the ESD Engineer focuses on the basic calculations and techniques of use to the ESD engineer. The content is at the sophomore physics or electrical engineering level set in the context of electrostatic discharge and its effects. The Transmission Line Pulse (TLP) technique has often been called the Para- metricAnalyzer for On-Chip ESD Protection. The TLP system utilizes rectangular pulses at current levels and time scales similar to Human Body Model (HBM) events. The rectangular pulse of a TLP system allows the measurement of current-voltage (I-V) curves from which can be extracted a variety of device and circuit parameters. These parameters cannot be measured with the double exponential pulse charac- teristic of HBM. This tutorial will explore the parameters to be measured with a TLP system and discuss the importance of the parameters in the design of on-chip ESD The 28th Annual EOS/ESD Sym- posium combines research, technology, education and peer networking into the premier international ESD event Sept. 10-15, 2006 at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson, AZ. This year’s Symposium offers two extra workshops which will begin on Tuesday evening followed by the nor- mal set of workshops on Wednesday afternoon. The Attendee Lunch com- plimentary to all attendees, is in the Exhibit Hall on Tuesday, September 13, and gives attendees an additional op- portunity to network and communicate with professionals in the fields of static control methods, evaluation techniques, and ESD testing. AWelcome Reception for all attend- ees will be held on Monday, September 11, at 6:00 PM in the Exhibit Hall. Net- work with your colleagues, share your ESD work experiences with others, view the exhibits, or simply pass the time meeting new people and making new friends. The 2006 Steering Committee will greet you and answer questions regarding the Symposium. The annual Awards Breakfast for all attendees will be held Tuesday, Septem- ber 12 at 7:30 AM. Following breakfast, General Chair Carl Newberg, Microstat Labs/ Rivers Edge Technical Service, will officially open symposium. Vice Chair Donn Bellmore, Universal Instrument Corp., will present the 2005 EOS/ESD Symposium Paper Awards. Technical Program Chair Gianluca Bosselli, will cover highlights of the 2006 technical program. The Professional and Technical Women’s Reception provides a friendly environment where women in the field of ESD can network and share work experiences. This year’s reception will be held on Tuesday, September 12 from 5:30 PM-6:30 PM. The ESD Association luncheon on Wednesday, September 13 will feature Continued on page 2 Accompany us in Tucson! Corporate Membership If you’d like to send several people to this year’s EOS/ESD Symposium, but are con- cerned about the costs, take a close look at the ESDACorporate Membership program. See page 7 for details.