Impact of Current Monitoring Probes on ESD Waveforms: Experimental and EM Simulation Analysis

Utilizing current monitoring probes to record the electrostatic discharge (ESD) current waveform during immunity testing has always been a fundamental component of the System-Efficient ESD Design (SEED) methodology. However, positioning the probe around the tip of the generator to capture the entirety of the waveform has raised concerns regarding potential probe loading effects that may distort the current measurements. In this work, these effects are investigated experimentally in conjunction with the IEC 61000-4-2 testing standard. Furthermore, an electromagnetic (EM) model is developed to validate the experimental findings and extend the analysis to various load impedances.