What term is used for electrostatic damage that shows symptoms only after a certain delay period?

The term used for electrostatic damage that shows symptoms only after a certain delay period is known as delayed failure. This type of failure can occur in electronic components after they have been exposed to electrostatic discharge (ESD) but may not manifest immediately. Instead, the symptoms can appear later, often making it challenging to trace the failure back to the initial cause of ESD. Delayed failures highlight the importance of proper handling and storage of sensitive electronic equipment, as the effects of ESD can be insidious, leading to reliability issues in electronic systems after some time.

Immediate failure refers to a situation where components fail at once upon exposure to stress, which does not align with the concept of a delay. Progressive failure describes a gradual deterioration of performance over time, while sustained failure generally indicates a constant failure without recovery. These terms differ significantly from the concept of delayed failure in their implications regarding time and behavior following an initial incident.