[Customer Self Repair] Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection Notes

How is static electricity generated

In general, there are three conditions to make static electricity for human body:

  1. Dry air: It is easier to make static electricity in an air conditioning environment for a long time. After opening an air conditioning, air will become drier and the static electricity on the surface will not be easy to release if the relative humidity is under 40%.
  2. It easily makes static electricity for those who dressed in chemical fiber clothes: The object friction between chemical fiber clothes and the human body will make static electricity. The fiber takes positive electric charge and the body takes negative ones (similar to make electricity by friction on the plastic). Electricity ionization increases more and more until to accumulates to a certain load, and you will receive an electric shock feeling.
  3. The dry skin is easier to make static electricity: The human with dry skin has less water on the skin surface, so conductivity will decrease and the static electricity is not easy to release. It easily makes static electricity because of accumulating the charge on the human body.

 

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)

Just as the electric charge storages in the cloud and immediately puncture the cloud to make lighting, and just like to split the ground. Usually, it happens while rainy days coming because the higher air humidity is easier to make a conductive channel.

This is the main reason that leads to all of the electric components or the integrated circuit destroyed. Since the electrostatic instantaneous voltage is very high (thousands of voltage or above), so this kind of destruction is permanent and causes the circuit burnt directly. Therefore, electrostatic discharge protection is top one difficult topic for all IC designers and manufacturers.

Static electricity is usually artificial, such as manufacturing, assembling, storage, or transportation processes which are possible to make the static electricity inside the human body, instruments, or devices, and even the instrument will storage the static electricity itself. People don’t know the discharge path will be created when they touch these objects with electricity, and then electric components or system will be destroyed by electrostatic discharge. (So, the repair engineers have to wear an ESD protection wrist strap to prevent the human’s static electricity to destroy chips.)

 

(The photos shows the electric component is destroyed by ESD.)

 

Waring: ESD may damage the electric components inside your computer. It may also store on your body or any object, and then release to an integrated circuit or electric components, such as Memory, Mainboard, Graphics card, etc. and cause the electric devices damaged. If you release the static electricity from your body first, it is helpful to prevent electric products damaged by the electrostatic discharge.

  1. Before opening the package of the electrostatic sensitive components and being ready to assemble the part on your computer, please do not take it out from the anti-electrostatic bag. You should release the static electricity from your body first.
  2. Please handle all electrostatic sensitive components in an anti-electrostatic area. If possible, please use the anti-electrostatic floor pads and station pads.
  3. If you need to transport the electrostatic sensitive components, please put them into the anti-electrostatic bag or container first.

 

ESD Protection Notes:

  • How to release the static electricity from human body
    Please touch a metal grounded object with your body. You also can put your hand on the wall or floor to release electrostatic, or hold the door handle to induct the static electricity on the human body from the hand to the ground.
  • Being barefoot helps to release static electricity which stores on the surface of the human body. (except for the insulated floor/material)
  • Increase the air humidity so that the partial static electricity will be released easily, and then you can implement the repair process after the body’s static electricity released.

 

ESD Protection Notes when repairing:

  • Take off all metal or easy scratched objects from your hand. (such as rings, watch, or coat, etc.)
  • Do not work in an area where is easy to make static electricity. (such as fiber carpet or wearing wool socks, etc.)
  • Keep the working station clean and wide, and no fiber carpet.
  • Before repairing, power off the computer until the power LED indicator turns off, and then disconnect the AC adapter cable.
  • After disassembling the bottom case, first step is to unplug the battery connection (if it is a latch design), and then push away the cable of the battery to cut the battery power off. (for non-portable battery design)
  • Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to confirm that your computer has Zero Potential status, and then you can start to repair.