Technometrics

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/utch20

The ESD Control Program Handbook

Li-Pang Chen

To cite this article: Li-Pang Chen (2022) The ESD Control Program Handbook, Technometrics,
64:1, 148-149, DOI: 10.1080/00401706.2021.2020522

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00401706.2021.2020522

Published online: 31 Jan 2022.

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Mining: Primer, Illustration, and TXTDM Software,” describes components, types of ESD damage, and system-level ESD are
briefly data mining of textual data, natural language processing, mentioned.
computational linguistics, information retrieval, statistics of For ESD control, it is needed to setup practices to reduce
the words in the corpus, gives examples with applications, and the ESD risk to ESDS devices to an acceptable level. To do
completes with appendices containing SAS codes. Chapter 44, this, Chapter 4 introduces seven habits to effectively remain
“Some of My Favorite Statistical Subroutines,” includes multiple the ESD control program. Those habits include (1) handling
referenced in the book specific subroutines, and the Index ESDS components within a safe handling area, (2) avoiding use
finalizes. of insulators near ESDS, (3) reducing ESD risks from essential
Each chapter presents numerical examples, SAS codes, and a insulators, (4) ground conductors (e.g., people), (5) protecting
list of references. The book is written as a sharing personal expe- ESDS using ESD packaging, (6) understanding ESD control
rience in useful discoveries in mining of different projects’ data. equipment and procedures, and (7) checking if everything is
It may explain the book structure where a topic or technique is working. Chapter 5 introduces automated handling equipment
considered repeatedly many times on different data in different (AHE), which is defined as self-sequencing machinery that
chapters. Such arrangement of material is difficult for finding manipulates or transports product in any form. Specifically,
the needed descriptions on a question dispersed throughout some relevant concepts and discussions of automated systems
the book, but it might be useful for a recursive studying for a are provided, including safety, the ESD sources and risks, some
better understanding of a subject. There are a lot of innovative strategies for ESD control (e.g., reasons making ESD damage,
heuristic enhancements of statistical techniques which proved ESD control in automated equipment and relevant qualifica-
to be valuable due to the author’s personal involvements in tion), determination and some techniques of ESD control mea-
multiple projects. The link http://www.geniq.net/articles.html# sure in AHE.
section9 leads to the author’s website with many dozens of Chapter 6 introduces some standards in ESD control. The
notes, essays, articles, SAS codes, solutions and discussions on author first outlines a picture of the development of ESD control
various related problems and statistical methods. The book can standards, and particularly focuses on the IEC and ESDA stan-
be useful to practitioners and researchers in the data science and dards in the remaining sections. Chapter 7 provides some ideas
machine-learning data mining. to ensure that the equipment continues to work correctly over
its life. The general scope focuses on selection, use, care, and
maintenance. For selection, the author provides some aspects to
Stan Lipovetsky identify intended function of ESD control equipment. For the
Minneapolis, MN second part “use,” it is important to know how the equipment
is used and whether it will provide a suitable working environ-
ment. Regarding maintenance, it is crucial to consider if spe-
cific maintenance procedures are needed to equipment. In the
remaining sections, general concepts and detailed introduction
The ESD Control Program Handbook, by Jeremy M. are given.
Smallwood. Wiley-IEEE Press, 538 pp., USD $140.00 (hbk). Chapter 8 discusses importance of packaging in ESD control.
ISBN 9781118311035 2020. In the remaining sections, the author describes some aspects
and provides detailed explanations, such as (i) package func-
In electronics manufacturing, electrostatic discharge (ESD), tions, (ii) ESD (protective) packaging terminology and proper-
which can damage or destroy modern electronic components, ties, (iii) relevant materials and processes, types and forms in
has become a concern. The preface of The ESD Control Program ESD protective packaging. Chapter 9 introduces evaluation of
Handbook states “few books have been available to discuss, eval- an ESD control program, whose primary purpose is to control
uate, maintain, and update an effective ESD control program.” ESD risk and reduce ESD damage to an acceptable level. Some
Due to this concern, 13 chapters in this book aim to cover all evaluations conducted in this chapter include (i) ESD risks, (ii)
the aspect of modern process for electrostatic control in the process capability, (iii) ESD protection needs, (iv) cost effective-
manufacturing or other materials related to electronics. ness and compliance of the ESD control program.
Chapter 1 introduces several fundamental terminology and Chapter 10 introduces some strategies and guidelines to
provides a big picture with key concepts in ESD control. Chapter develop an ESD control program, determine appropriate ESD
2 presents in more detail the principles of ESD control. Under measures, evaluate ESD protection needs, optimize the ESD
the overview of ESD control, the author discusses contact charge control program. Chapter 11 explains how to make basic mea-
generation, electrostatic charge build-up based on mathemati- surements for use in the assessment of equipment for com-
cal models. After that, electrostatic fields/discharges/attraction, pliance with standards. Measurement methods are provided
electronic models of ESD are outlined. Finally, strategies to avoid to product qualification and compliance verification. Relevant
ESD damage are presented. Chapter 3 focuses on electrostatic issues, such as environmental conditions, standard test meth-
discharge-sensitive (ESDS) devices, which are components that ods, measurement equipment, and some practical problems
are susceptible to ESD damage. To measure ESD susceptibility, with measurements are clearly discussed.
the author suggests a simple electronic circuit to model ESD, and Chapter 12 focuses the discussion on ESD training that all
provides several strategies (e.g., human body model, machine personnel should have some role in ESD control know enough.
model, charged device model) to test susceptibility. Moreover, The remaining sections in this chapter provide different aspects
some detailed items and descriptions of ESD susceptibility of related to training, such as planning, targets who need training,
 BOOK REVIEWS 149

training form and content, and demonstrations of ESD control- famous Monty Hall problem, its variations in the Three Prison-
related issues. Finally, Chapter 13 outlines future work related ers and Deadly Doors problems, William Shakespeare’s Portia’s
to ESD. Some topics are discussed in other sections, including challenge in Merchant of Venice, the Boy-Girl paradox and
(1) ESD withstand voltage trends, (2) ESD control programs its modification in the Girl Named Florida problem, the Two-
and process control, (3) refinement of the ESD standards, (4) Envelopes paradox and its Necktie variant, the famous Birth-
ESD control equipment and materials, (5) ESD-related mea- day problem, the Inspection paradox of a bus waiting, the J.
surements, (6) system ESD immunity, and (7) education and Berkson’s paradox or a collider bias with some application to
training for personnel. Covid-19 study, the well-known Simpson’s paradox, and the
In summary, this book contains clear and detailed introduc- Will Rogers phenomenon (similar to the more known Lord’s
tion to ESD control. Comprehensive explanations and a lot of paradox – S.L.).
figures are friendly to readers who are not experts in this field. Chapter 3, “Probability and Choice,” presents problems
In general, this book is a good reference to people who are which do not have a unique agreed solution or with a surprising
interested in this topic. solution. It considers William Newcomb’s paradox discussed
in decision theory as a choice between reason unsupported by
evidence, and evidence unsupported by reason; the Sleeping
Li-Pang Chen
Beauty problem; the God’s Coin Toss problem with the self-
National Chengchi University
sampling and self-indication assumptions; the Doomsday
Argument of the human race extinction, related also to the
Lindy effect; the problem of when to stop looking and start
Probability, Choice, and Reason, by Leighton Vaughan choosing, aka the Secretary problem; why we more often are
Williams. CRC Press/Chapman and Hall, Taylor & Francis in the slower lane problem, related to the observer selection
Group, Boca Raton, FL, 2022, ISBN 978-0-367-53891-0, effect; Blaise Pascal’s Wager problem of preference to believe in
xviii + 292 pp., $66.95 (pbk). God, and the related climate change and mugging problems;
J.M. Keynes’ Beauty Contest, or money market problem; and
The book presents a fascinating collection of multiple prob- the famous Benford’s Law, helping to identify the fraud series of
lems on Bayesian techniques, probability and statistics, para- numbers.
doxes and puzzles, applications to various real-world subjects, Chapter 4, “Probability, Games, and Gambling,” focuses on
including economics, finance, law, medicine, and much more. the classic probability estimations and their applications. It
Human common sense and intuition are often flawed and yield describes the Chevalier’s Dice problem, discussed by B. Pascal,
false answers. This book teaches us using various examples of P. Fermat, C. Huygens, and J. Bernoulli; the Pascal-Fermat
how to apply a scientific thinking and deep reasoning to infer “problem of points”; the Newton-Pepys problem about gambling
correct conclusions. The author is a renowned specialist in odds; Staking to reach a target sum problem; the Favorite-
economics, professor at Nottingham Business School of Trent Longshot Bias problem, related to the Gambler’s Fallacy in
University, who served as an expert for national and interna- lottery play; Poisson distribution and its features; Card counting
tional courts of law, committees of the House of Commons and and a strategy for playing blackjack, aka “21”; the Martingale
House of Lords, and senior adviser to the UK government. betting system for a profit, and its variant in the “Devil’s shooting
The preface lists various challenging questions with no evi- room” paradox; a problem of how much to bet having an edge,
dent solution, but states that they will be resolved in the course decided by the Kelly’s criterion; the Expected Value paradox; and
of the book reading. The monograph is structured in eight Options, Spreads, and Wagers problems, including estimations
topic chapters consisting of numerous sections and subsections. for buying or selling the call or put options on the example of
Each section describes a specific problem with its consideration the World Cup “Total Goals” market.
in different aspects, explanation and solution, modifications, Chapter 5 “Probability, Truth, and Reason” explores some
presents appendix with derivations and calculations, supple- mind-bending ideas which could be testable or falsifiable. It
ment exercises with dozens of questions, references to reading includes C.G. Hempel’s paradox, aka the Raven paradox, due
and multiple links to internet sources. to which if something might or might not exist, and is not
Chapter 1, “Probability, Evidence, and Reason,” is devoted observed, it is more likely to exist if it is less observable than
to the famous Bayes’ Theorem, which is used to update the something else which is more observable; the Simulated World
probability of an event, given some new evidence, so it combines question on the probability that we live in a virtual reality cre-
prior beliefs with new data. It is presented in several possible ated by an advanced civilization; the Quantum World thought
formulations and applied to a dozen problems, including the experiments on the famous E. Schrödinger’s Cat simultane-
prosecutor fallacy, the taxi color, the rare type beetle, the false ously existing in different states of the life and death, with
positive virus test and vaccine efficacy, the tennis player, the bro- the related “quantum suicide” experiment about the alternative
ken window crime story, the detective story with five suspects, realities, or the “many-worlds interpretation” (MWI); the Fine-
the bus waiting, William Shakespeare’s Otello theater play, Sally Tuned Universe puzzle, which discusses the perception and
Clark and courtroom justice, and each one of those is completed concepts of the cosmological constant and the universe expan-
with additional subproblems and variations. sion, dark energy existence and symmetry-asymmetry paradox,
Chapter 2, “Probability Paradoxes,” starts with the classic initial conditions for the Big Bang and alien civilizations; and
Joseph Bertrand’s box paradox, and continues with other coun- William Occam’s Razor principle of simplicity, or parsimony in
terintuitive conundrums on change the options, including the choice of theories with the fewest assumptions, which corre-