What type of damage is cause by Electrostatic discharge(ESD) in computer components?

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) causes catastrophic failure. This type of ESD damage causes some sort of permanent damage such as an anti-oxidant failure or a metal melt. The damage done is irreversible. Damages from ESD can happen to components or devices at any stage during its life, but most devices with catastrophic failure are usually found during the testing process (manufacturing process).

Upset failure is also a type of damage caused by ESD. Upset failure occurs when ESD damages components but not enough to cause complete failure. While in use, the component may intermittently result in gate failure and cause problems with software and storage.