To meet the requirement of “The Program shall document the lowest level(s) of device ESD sensitivity that can be handled.” in Section 6.1 of ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021, can the client report the most sensitive ESDS item they handle?

ESD Control Program Auditing
#1

To meet the requirement of “The Program shall document the lowest level(s) of device ESD sensitivity that can be handled.” in Section 6.1 of ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021, can the client report the most sensitive ESDS item they handle?

#2

No. While it is good that the client has identified the most sensitive items they handle, this information does not indicate the organization’s ESD control program is actually capable of handling these items. Typically, most companies are using the values directly from ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021 Section 2.0 – “Scope” which are:

  • 100V HBM
  • 200V CDM
  • < 35V from Isolated Conductors

For an organization to change (i.e., reduce) these values there must be sufficient technical justification to support the claim. Often this would include use of Process Assessment techniques and/or tightening of limits found throughout the standard.