Fowler Associates Labs

Archive List by Year:

1993:
Developing ESD-Immune Electronic Systems- 1993: by Michael J. Smith. "Here is how two different systems were affected by ESD and how they were designed to be ESD-immune."

Analyzing EOS/ESD Failures- 1993: by Owen J. McAteer. "Without failure analysis, it is difficult to tell whether you actually have a static problem."

1992:
Evaluating ESD Smocks- 1992: Gary L. Johnson, Dan D. Steffe. "An effective smock depends not only on the fabric used to make it, but also on how the smock is designed and cleaned."

Evaluating Semi-Rigid Plastic Trays- 1992: by A.E. Warnecke and Cecil W. Deish. "Developing a test method that evaluates ESD protection."

Clean Corona Ionization- 1992 by: Kenneth D. Murray and Vaughn P. Gross answers the question "Can clean ionization be achieved by using air or nitrogen to minimize particle buildup on emitter points?"

The Components of an Effective Static-Control System- 1992: by Hans-Peter Brandt. "An effective program depends on how well the individual static-control components perform, on their own and as part of the system."

The Components of an Effective Static-Control System: Part II- 1992 by: Hans-Peter Brandt. "An effective program depends on how well the individual static-control components perform, on their own and as part of the system."

1991:

Qualifying ICs with Charged-Device Model Testers- 1991 by: Peter Richman. "CDM testing is becoming increasingly important, but care must be taken in selecting the most appropriate test method."

Induction and ESD Failures- 1991 by: Owen J. McAteer. "The preceding columns on the basics of electrostatics have discussed charge and dielectric constant, triboelectric generation, and conductivity, and resistivity. These topics provide a good foundation from which to proceed into the subject of induction."

A Proposed Test Methodology for Floor Materials- 1991: by Michael Brandt and Stephen Halperin. Current flooring test procedures and the information they provide can be misleading. Here's one proposed solution to the floor-testing problem.

A Proposed Test Methodology for Floor Materials Part 2- 1991: by Michael T. Brandt and Stephen A. Halperin. "Testing various characteristics provides important information for proper selection of floor materials."

The ESD Threat to PCB-Mounted ICs- 1991 by: Warren Boxleitner; research on how "Charged boards and personnel can create serious ESD problems for ICs mounted on printed circuit boards."

1990:

Buying and Selling Static Control- 1990: by Randy Ford. "Procuring static-control products can be a little less confusing if you know "who's on first."

Part II: From MIL-P-81705 (AS) to MIL-B-81705C- 1990: by Charles R. Hynes. "Over the past twenty years, MIL-B-81705 has helped shape static-control products and methods. Here's part two of the story of how this key military specification was itself shaped and grew."

Auditing for Static Safety- 1990: by Al Boucher. "Despite good intentions and formalized static-control policies, audits can still uncover numerous offenses against static safety."

Cutting Through a Cloud of Static- 1990: by Garry R. Grzelak. "Static problems can be subtle, and often demand more than just a one-step solution."

Cost-Benefit Analysis: How Much is Enough? -1990: by Richard Y. Moss. "Just how much does static-control have to be? Here's how to find the cost-benefit ratio of static-control efforts."

The Basics of ESD-Protective Containers- 1990: by Raymond P. Becker. "Properly selected shipping and handling containers can limit ESD damage, both to electronic devices and to your budget."

What does it Mean to Certify?- 1990: by Greg Bosch. "Often in the ESD packaging business, we are asked to "certify" to a customer's specification. This requirement that a manufacturer's product meet a user's specification is typical in the electronics industry. If fact, as manufacturer's of ESD packaging, we often require certification from our own vendors."

Static Controls Pay- 1990: by Roger J. Peirce. "Return-on-investment (ROI) data show that ESD control saves vastly more than it costs."

Going Beyond Surface Resistivity- 1990: by Stephen Fowler. "Depending on the material, surface resistivity may be a misleading indicator of static-control capabilities."

How Static Impacts Your Costs- 1990: by Stephen Halperin. "Even without costly failure analysis, the effects of static discharge can be made visible using throughput analysis."

Combining Wrist Straps, Monitors, and Lotions -1990: by John Kolyer, Donald Watson, William Anderson, and Dale Cullop. "Here's how one aerospace firm integrated wrist straps, constant monitoring, and conductive lotions to achieve maximum grounder reliability."

Monitoring Your Monitors -1990: by Edward H. Russell. "Your ground monitors may be fooled by their own sensitivity and the "human battery effect." The result is that your wrist straps may be better than you think."

Monitoring Ground -1990: by Betty L. Smith. "Continuous monitoring of workstation and employee grounding is necessary to maximize the safety of ESD-sensitive parts."

1989:

A Thoughtful Approach to Field-Service Grounding- 1989: by Charles R. Hynes. "Exceptional care must often be taken to protect personnel and ESD-sensitive parts from the consequences of improper grounding."

Safe Grounding of Static-Controlled Workstations- 1989: by Edward H. Russell. "Although ESD-protective grounding is often crucial, it is far from the only consideration in workstation grounding; the avoidance of shock hazard to personnel is even more important."

Measure Resistance Instead, Part 1- 1989 by: Ben Baumgartner. "Resistivity and decay measurements can mislead users about the suitability of ESD-protective materials. Here's some insight into this problem, as well as a method that gets around it."

Measure Resistance Instead: Part II- 1989: by Ben Baumgartner. "Resistivity and decay measurements can not only be misleading, but can also be sometimes confused by misunderstanding and misused terminology. The simple, unambiguous test described here can provide much more reliable materials characterizations."

Throughput Analysis: How Static Impacts the Bottom Line, Part II- 1989 by: Setphen Halperin

From MIL-P-81705 (AS) to MIL-B-81705C- 1989: by Charles R. Hynes. " Over the past twenty years, MIL-P-81705 has helped shape static-control products and methodologies. Here's how this key military specification has grown and changed with time."

1988:

Can Charged Boards Cause IC Failure? -1988: by Donald Pierce. "Although many authorities waver, the author answers yes with a theoretical proof."

A Beginner's Guide to ESD-Protective Containers- 1988: by Raymond P. Becker. "Properly selected haldling and shipping containers can limit ESD damage, both to electronic devices and to your budget."

How to Select Flooring- 1988: by Steve Halperin. "A systematic analysis to determine the best flooring for you."

ESD For Managers- 1988: by Glenn William Bodison. "Putting an ESD program on a manager's action list makes his or her life easier."

1987:

Tote Box Material: How Good is it?- 1987: by J.M. Kolyer, W.E. Anderson and D.E. Watson. "New materials for multilayer tote boxes measure up well in lab comparison with traditional polyolefin plastic."

Charge Versus Voltage Measurements- 1987: by Reter R. Bossard, Ph.D. " When to use which."

Should Testing be Done Beyond the Lab?- 1987: by Donald Ford. "Four ESD control veterans share some thoughts on setting up and running a test program."