ESD Protection for Portable Electronic Products

In some instances the device is still functional, but the life of the device is
significantly shortened. This latent damage is difficult to detect. The
illustration of this type of damage effect is in shown in Figure 1. A portion
of the conductor was damaged by the ESD energy discharge. The weak link
is still functioning, but the connection will most likely fail over time.

What is ESD?
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a growing problem within the electronic
industry due to the sensitivity of high speed circuits and the growth in Figure 1. Latent Damage Due to ESD Discharge
hand held portable products. The portable products used in everyday life
An ESD event is the transfer of energy between two bodies at different
have many input/output ports that connect to different devices. Human
electrostatic voltage potentials. To better understand the ESD event, we
interaction with portable equipment ports is the cause of many ESD
need to look at the human body model, which is widely used in the
failures. Cooper Bussmann offers a variety of ESD protection products that
electronic industry.
prevent damage to internal components in electronic equipment. Ideally
for the best protection, these devices should be placed on the printed The human body model is illustrated in Figure 2. In this model, the human
circuit board near the input/output ports to shunt ESD energy at the point body energy is transferred from the person, through the device and
of entry. completing the path, to ground.

How is ESD Generated?

We experience occurrences of static electricity every day, such as walking
across a carpeted room, opening a door or sliding across a car seat will
create static electricity. A mild electric shock is often experienced,
however This shock does not cause any harm to our bodies, But could
cause severe damage to electronic devices. Damage due to ESD is
estimated to cost the electronic industry billions of dollars each year, and
this damage is not limited to the manufacturing cost, but also impacts
machinery downtime and lost man-hours.

Two Main Types of ESD Failures

• Soft failure
• Hard failure
Soft failures are temporary failures due to the corruption of data or some
Figure 2. Human Body Model
other recoverable mechanism. Hard failures result in permanent damage
to the system that may require replacement of a part before the The human body is modeled as two parallel capacitors. The capacitor holds
equipment operation can be restored. Some hard failures are catastrophic energy, much like the stored energy in the body discharges when the path
failures which cause the electronic device to be inoperable And the device to ground is created.
is permanently damaged.

1
IEC61000-4-2 is a standard test that was developed to establish a Technology Options for Protection Against ESD
common and reproducible basis for evaluating the effects of ESD on
Cooper Bussmann offers three different technologies for ESD protection:
products. The test circuit is illustrated in Figure 3.
• PolySurg™ (Voltage Variable Material technology)
• MLV (Multi-Layer Varistor)
• TVS (Transient Voltage Suppressor, Diode based)
Each of these technologies has unique performance characteristics for
different applications.

PolySurg™
PolySurg™ ESD suppressors are made out of a proprietary Voltage Variable
Figure 3. Test Setup for Human Body Model Material (VVM), and has unique properties ideal for ESD suppression
The 150pf capacitor is charged by the DC voltage generator when the applications. The VVM polymer matrix responds to an overvoltage condition
switch is connected to the 10 MΩ resistor. When the switch is moved to by rapidly changing its internal resistance/impedance from high to low, as
the other position, the energy stored in the capacitor will discharge through illustrated in Figure 5.
the device under test.
IEC specification of test voltages for different levels of test for contact and
air is given below. Test voltage is selected for different test level
requirement.
Contact Discharge Level Air Discharge
2000V Level 1 2000V
4000V Level 2 4000V
6000V Level 3 8000V
8000V Level 4 15,000V
The waveform of the standard ESD test pulse is illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 5. PolySurg™ ESD Suppressors

Some advantages of this polymeric matrix are fast response, ultra low
capacitance, and very low leakage current. Additionally, due to their ultra
low capacitance, PolySurg™ should be used in high frequency, high data
rates applications.

How Does This Work?

The PolySurg™ TR Series and MLP Series are board level circuit protection
devices designed exclusively for the fast, transient overvoltages associated
Figure 4. Standard ESD Pulse with ESD. When an overvoltage occurs the device exhibits a dramatic
change to become more conductive. The nature of the material creates a
The ESD pulse is an extremely fast rising transient event. The pulse, as
bi-directional part, and only one device is required to
characterized in IEC 61000-4-2, has a rise time of less than 1ns, peak
currents up to 45A, and voltage levels to 15kV. Characteristics determined provide complete ESD protection regardless of the input surge polarity. In a
by this test are voltage overshoot, peak voltage, clamping voltage, peak typical application the device is connected between the signal line and
current, and device resistance. Additionally, wiring inductance and probe ground. The device exhibits minimal capacitance and is practically “invisi-
capacitance can produce inaccurate readings on the oscilloscope. ble” to the circuit during normal operation. Under normal operating voltages
Considerable Care must be taken during the test setup in order to reduce (typically to 15V) the high impedance of the device insulates each signal
the connection wire length and a low capacitance probe must be used. line from ground, however When an ESD event occurs, the voltage variable
material switches to a conductive state- this voltage level is called “trigger
voltage”- within nanoseconds. The voltage across signal line drops to the
clamping voltage level, and current is shunted through the device to the
ground. When the overvoltage pulse ends, the circuit returns to its normal
operating state- the device switches back to its high resistance state and is
again “invisible” to the circuit.

2
Multilayer Varistors
MLVs are made - of multiple layers of zinc oxidized ceramic, that when
heated the zinc oxide forms grains. These grains form boundaries similar to
a diode, (i.e. one way operation). During a voltage spike, the high voltage
causes the grain boundaries to breakdown and create low resistance for
current to flow, shunting the voltage to ground and, hence, providing circuit
protection.
Typical Characteristics of the Cooper Bussmann MLV families are low
Figure 8. TVS Diode Operation
capacitance, high energy handling capacity, low cost, and low size. The
0402 and 0603 MLVA series are standard SMT sizes in the industry. Cooper per Bussmann TVS Diode Families provide low clamping voltage,
low capacitance, and bidirectional capabilities and they are offered in small
Construction of MLV 0201 and 0402 packages.
MLVs are made of fine grain ceramic layers that are stacked with
Selection of ESD Devices
alternating connections between the two electrodes. Every other layer
connects to the same electrode (see Figure 6). This configuration allows Cooper Bussmann offers a wide variety of ESD suppressor products to
higher resistances at lower voltages, but also faster response times than MOVs. protect electronic equipment against ESD pulses. Some important
characteristics to consider when selecting an ESD solution include:
IC sensitivity, speed of data transfer, clamping voltage, operating voltage,
trigger voltage, peak current handling capacity, low capacitance, size, and
the number of strikes the ESD device must withstand.
There are two main reasons ESD sensitivity of most circuits is on the rise.
The first reason is the small IC package and the reduction in the die size.
The second reason is the increase in the operating frequencies and a
Figure 6. Multilayer Varistor Construction
resultant sensitivity of the IC. other factors that contribute to ESD sensitivity
TVS Diodes are the increase in the number of IC pins and the proximity to other
devices. In Some cases, the ICs include an internal ESD protection, but the
Transient Voltage Suppression (TVS) diode is another technology designed
protection levels are typically very low, (around 2kV).
for protecting electronic circuits against ESD pulses. Silicon-avalanche
diodes are well suited for ESD protection, with high impedance at stand-off The operating voltage of most ICs is getting lower than ever, and 1.5V to
voltage and low impedance at breakdown voltage. 1.8V volt devices are now common. To protect the IC’s low voltage
operation, the ESD device must be able to operate at low voltage and lower
TVS Diodes are made with parallel opposing silicon avalanche diodes. Each
clamping voltage. These parameters are typically specified in most data
diode is created by a P-N junction. These junctions (see Figure 7) form
sheets. Another important parameter associated with working voltage is the
boundaries, which do not allow current to flow during normal operation and
leakage current -Typically in the nA range when the device is in standby
reduce loss through the device.
mode.
Clamping voltage is defined differently for different ESD suppressor
technologies. In the case of MLV and TVS diode, the clamping voltage is
defined as the peak voltage measured across the ESD device with 1A pulse
current and 80/20us waveform. For voltage variable polymer type devices,
such as PolySurg™, the clamping voltage is defined as the voltage at
which the device stabilizes (clamps) after transition from high impedance to
low impedance.
The placement of ESD device in any given circuit is critical in the protection
Figure 7. Transient Voltage Suppression Construction of sensitive devices. The ESD device should be placed very close to the
input of the ESD, usually a connector or switch, and the ground plane.
Any voltage spike or ESD pulse causes the P-N junction to break down
creating a low resistance path for current to flow. This provides protection Higher speed data lines require lower capacitance protective devices so
by shunting the voltage to ground. This is illustrated in Figure 8. that the signal is not attenuated or distorted. Low capacitances ranging
from 0.5-5pF are required for high speed transient voltage protection,
depending on the specific signal frequency.
Cooper Bussmann offers the industry standard packages of 0201, 0402,
0603, 1206 and 2510 in single and arrays. Discrete 0201, 0402, and
0603 SMD designs save precious circuit board space while giving
designers flexibility in device placement for superior ESD protection
schemes. Please Refer to the selection guide that follows for additional
information to select the best ESD solution for your application.

3
 Overvoltage Protection Selection Guide

ESD
Surge
Start or MLVA
Surge

ESD Low

High Speed Low Speed

Data Circuit Data IC
PolySurg
Speed or Power Sensitivity

Medium-High
Speed Data High

Low IC High
MLVB Sensitivity TVSA

Applications Technology Feature / Benefit

• Ultra-low capacitance (0.05pF typical) maintains signal integrity

• 1ns Reaction time protects ICs from ESD damage
High Speed Data Circuits PolySurg™ Discrete • Withstands 1000 ESD strikes for long lasting protection
• Small 0402, 0603, 1206 and 2510 arrays meet the demands of
many applications
Array

• Small 0201, 0402, and 0603 SMD footprints save PCB space
• Low capacitance (0.5-5pF) delivers superior protection for
MLVA USB 2.0
Cost Sensitive Applications &
• Low leakage currents (<10mA) permit maintaining circuit
MLVB
functionality
• Fast response time (<1ns) meets the needs of IEC 61000-4-2
Discrete
• Solid-state silicon-avalanche technology protects against high
voltage surges
• Bi-directional functionality protects against positive and negative
Highly Sensitive ICs TVS Diodes voltage spikes
• Small 0201 and 0402 SMD footprints save PCB space
• Low leakage currents and clamping voltages reduce power
Discrete consumption and increase efficiency

4
 ESD SUPPRESSOR SELECTION GUIDE
Rated Clamping Typ Capacitance Trigger
Part Image Volts Voltage(V) (pF) Voltage(V) Leakage Size (mm) Packaging
Number Ref. Vdc Typical Typical Typical Current LxWxH (pcs/reel)
PolySurg™ Ultra-Low Capacitance ESD Suppressors Image References
0402ESDA-MLP1 1 30 35 0.05pF@1MHz 300 <0.1nA 1.1x0.53x0.36 10000
PS04LTVA1 1 5 25 0.05pF@1MHz 150 <0.1nA 1.1x0.53x0.36 10000
0603ESDA-MLP7 2 30 35 0.05pF@1MHz 300 <0.1nA 1.6x0.8x0.5 5000
0603ESDA-TR1 3 24 35 0.15pF@1kHz~1.8GHz 300 <0.1nA 1.6x0.8x0.5 5000
41206ESDA-TR1 4 12 35 0.15pF@1kHz~1.8GHz 150 <0.1nA 3.2x1.6x0.8 5000 1 2
42510ESDA-TR1 5 12 30 0.1pF@1MHz 300 <0.01µA 2.5x1.0x0.5 5000
MLVA Series Standard Capacitance Multi-Layer Varistors
MLVA02V05C033 6 5.5 30 33pF@1MHz *** <10µA 0.6x0.3x0.3 15000
MLVA02V05C047 6 5.5 26 47pF@1MHz *** <10µA 0.6x0.3x0.3 15000
MLVA02V05C064 6 5.5 26 64 pF@1MHz *** <10µA 0.6x0.3x0.3 15000 3 4
MLVA04V05C270 7 5.5 20 270pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVA04V09C130 7 9 32 130pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVA04V14C090 7 14 38 90pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVA04V18C085 7 18 45 85pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVA06V05C270 8 5.5 22 270pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000 5 6
MLVA06V09C210 8 9 27 210pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
MLVA06V14C150 8 14 35 150pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
MLVA06V18C130 8 18 40 130pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
MLVA06V26C100 8 26 58 100pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
MLVB Series Low Capacitance Multi-Layer Varistors 7 8
MLVB04V18C0R5 9 18 250 0.5pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVB04V18C001 9 18 110 1pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVB04V18C003 9 18 58 3pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVB04V09C005 9 9 35 5pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000
MLVB06V18C0R5 10 18 250 0.5pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000 9 10
MLVB06V18C001 10 18 110 1pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
MLVB06V18C003 10 18 58 3pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
MLVB06V09C005 10 9 35 5pF@1MHz *** <10µA 1.6x0.8x0.8 4000
TVSA Series Discrete Transient Voltage Suppressors
TVSA02V05C004 11 5 17 4pF@1MHz *** <10nA 0.6x0.3x0.3 15000 11 12
TVSA04V05C006 12 5 17 6pF@1MHz *** <10nA 1.0x0.5x0.5 10000

Technical Application Assistance

Application Engineering
• Call 636-527-1270
• E-mail [email protected]
Online Resources (www.cooperbussmann.com/elx)
• Application Notes
• Ordering Product Samples
• Data Sheets (www.cooperbussmann.com/datasheets/elx)
• Product Profiler Technical Reference and Competitive Cross (www.cooperbussmann.com/ProductSearch.aspx)
Design Kits
• DKCP-18780A - Folder
• DKCP-18780B - Case

© 2011 Cooper Bussmann

www.cooperbussmann.com

5 Reorder # 4067 0511 PDF Only