November/December 2023

Volume 40, No. 6 November/December 2023 THRESHOLD TM Dear Colleagues, Friends, and ESD enthusiasts, On behalf of ESDA and the 2023 Symposium Steering Committee, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the vol- unteers, attendees, exhibitors and our Headquarter Staff for your participation in the 45th Annual EOS/ESD Symposium in Riverside, California. I understand the commitment it takes to attend, and am appreciative of the time and effort you dedicated to making this symposium exceptional. The diverse perspectives shared during the discussions, presentations, and workshops inspired innovative thinking and fostered connections that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our field. This year the steering team and strategy team refocused the program into 3 days, with 2 parallel technical sessions and interactive sessions in the exhibit hall. I was impressed with the quality and breadth of the invited speakers who brought valuable industry perspective on emerging technology vectors in GaN, Automotive, Communication and Heterogenous integration, complementing the ESD expert technical presentations. One of many highlights for me were found in the newly structured workshops and discussion groups. I appreciated the alignment on the critical future challenges dis- cussed at the plenary workshop on the ESDA roadmap, the more practical expert engagement in smaller groups at the EDA world café workshop, and the call for action in the workshop on air discharge testing. There was a fruitful discus- sion group on the subject of fab certification, taking a topic that was identified in Advanced Topics committee to the next phase. After an inspiring Keynote presentation on the Webb Telescope and space exploration, we came down to earth with an invited talk on unpowered hand tools based on TR13.0-02. It was gratifing to hear some of the local university students who attended the student day, hosted by the academia committee, ask for more engagement! The scope and scale of the work of the ESDA was highlighted through the five standards corners in the exhibit hall, and the volunteer showcase reception where each ESDA committee was represented. As we move forward, I encourage you to stay connected with the ESD community, continue the conversations that began at the symposium, and explore opportunities for further collaboration. Your ongoing involvement is crucial to sustaining the momentum generated during this event. I look forward to meeting you in Reno, Nevada for the 46th Annual EOS/ ESD Symposium. Please feel free to reach out with your feedback or suggestions to enhance future events. Ann Concannon 2023 EOS/ESD Symposium General Chair