Aging effects on electrical and radiation characteristics of discrete semiconductors

The effects of operating life on the electrical and radiation effects characteristics of several high reliability discrete semiconductor device types were investigated. Approximately 2400 parts consisting of five transistor types, two regular diode types and a zener diode type with operating ages ranging from 1.6 to 5.9 years were tested in this investigation. The devices tested included representative samples of both silicon and germanium materials as well as alloy junction, mesa and planar fabrication technology. No correlation was found between operating life and the direction or magnitude of changes in either the electrical or radiation characteristics of the sample populations investigated.