diode esd damage

[LaserTazerPhaser]

can diodes like axial 1n4xxx, 1n4148 or zeners be damaged by typical esd?

[Zero999]

Yes, it should be fine.

Of course everything has it's limits. Even humans can be badly damaged by ESD: a bolt of lightning can kill!

The most sensitive part, as far as ESD is concerned is the MOSFET. Most other parts are fairly robust.

Distributors such as Digikey and Mouser put almost everything in ESD safe bags and containers so it's safe to put them near more sensitive components and it's cheaper to just keep one stock of packaging material, rather than ESD safe and non-ESD safe types.

[Ian.M]

Laser diodes, many RF diodes and some LEDs are ESD sensitive.  As others have said, regular silicon diodes are not very ESD sensitive.  It all depends on junction area and materials and whether or not reverse breakdown is likely to cause hot-spotting before the rest of the junction can avalanche or Zener.    MOSFETs are ESD sensitive because of insulation breakdown of the very thin gate oxide layer.