For over 26 years, ESD Testing methods have been used to determine the different ESD failure threshold levels of electronic components. There are four ESD Testing Methods from the four ESD events, namely the Human Body Model (HBM), the Machine Model (MM), the charged Device Model (CDM) and the Human Metal Model (HMM). The first three methods are normally used for the qualification of ICs before they are shipped, and the fourth is used to qualify systems before they are shipped to the European market.

Over the last 16 years, researchers have used an additional (5th) ESD testing method to characterize the ESD protection structures of these electronic components. This 5th method, the Transmission Line Pulse (TLP) ESD method, is regarded as a diagnostic tool, and so it was used for engineering evaluation and development with a goal to improving the robustness of the ESD protective structures in ICs.

The practical basis and basics of TLP will be discussed and the failure criteria will be linked to the failure criteria of the traditional HBM ESD testing. The TLP pulse parameters and testing results will be compared with that from the traditional HBM in order to show that correlation exists between the two methods of ESD Testing. Examples of TLP test results from case studies, including the subsequent failure analysis, will be presented.