The Future

The future, particularly in a fast‐moving world like the electronics industry, has even more capacity to surprise than the workings of electrostatics and electrostatic discharge (ESD). The ESD Association publishes from time to time an “ESD Technology Roadmap”, which reviews and predicts the trends in the integrated circuit industry for the forthcoming few years and their impact on ESD control practices and trends in device testing. Optimization of an ESD program in terms of return on investment has long been an aim for some ESD control practitioners. New materials will continue to be developed for ESD control as process control requirements become more demanding. Techniques for evaluating material characteristics will also evolve as understanding of ESD risks improves. Development of packaging forms and materials will require development of improved test methods for ESD protective packaging materials and systems.