IEC TR 61340-5-5:2018

Overview

IEC TR 61340-5-5:2018 (Electrostatics - Part 5-5) is a Technical Report from the IEC that provides guidance on packaging systems used in electronic manufacturing to protect electrostatic discharge sensitive (ESDS) items and other parts that cannot be adequately evaluated by existing test methods. It addresses packaging material selection, system design, electrostatic charge generation, attraction/repulsion, dissipation, shielding and practical evaluation approaches for small-dimension packaging such as embossed carrier tape, trays, tubes, rails, cover tape and reels.

Key topics and technical focus

• Scope and purpose: Recommendations for packaging materials and systems where standard test methods are limited or inadequate.
• Packaging material principles: Low-charging materials, dissipative vs. conductive solutions, field shielding and discharge shielding, plus moisture barrier and outgassing considerations.
• Electrostatic phenomena: Analysis of charge generation (triboelectrification), induction, electrostatic attraction/repulsion and discharge mechanisms that impact ESDS components.
• Material types and processing: Filled polymers, intrinsically conductive/dissipative materials, surface coatings, antistats, anodized parts, vacuum forming, injection moulding, embossing and lamination.
• Evaluation and test methods: Review of existing standards and test limitations; proposals and concepts for new or adapted test methods (single-point probe, parallel plates, pin-point probe, shielding tests, triboelectric charging and discharge evaluation) tailored to small packaging geometries.
• Practical recommendations: Design guidelines, selection criteria and industry common practices for manufacturing and handling environments (inside and outside EPAs - electrostatic protected areas).

Practical applications

• Selection and specification of ESD-safe packaging materials for surface-mount devices (SMDs) and other ESDS components.
• Design of embossed tape, cover tape and trays to minimize tribocharging and enable safe automated handling.
• Evaluation of packing solutions used between EPAs and in back-end processing where standard tests may not apply.
• Guidance for QA, procurement and suppliers to define packaging attributes (dissipation, shielding, moisture barriers, outgassing) that meet handling and storage requirements.

Who should use this standard

• ESD control engineers and packaging engineers in electronics manufacturing
• Quality assurance and procurement teams specifying component packaging
• Test laboratories developing or adapting ESD test methods for packaging
• Packaging material suppliers and design houses for electronic components

Related standards

• IEC 61340 series (e.g., IEC 61340-5-3, IEC 61340-2-1, IEC TR 61340-2-2, IEC 61340-2-3, IEC 61340-4-8)
• ANSI/ESD S541 and relevant military specifications (e.g., MIL PRF 81705, MIL-STD-3010) - referenced for comparisons and supplemental requirements.

Keywords: IEC TR 61340-5-5:2018, electrostatic discharge, ESD, packaging systems, ESDS, packaging material, embossed carrier tape, trays, triboelectrification, charge dissipation, shielding, electronics manufacturing.