- Superseded. Semiconductor radiation detectors have come into widespread use in recent years for detection and high-resolution spectroscopy of ionizing radiation. Both silicon and germanium detectors have been developed, with silicon finding its principal application in the detection and analysis of heavy charged particles. Germanium detectors with their relatively high atomic number (as compared with silicon) and with large sensitive volumes have come into widespread use in the detection and analysis of gamma radiation. The rapid development and utilization of these detectors have made desirable standard test procedures so that measurements may have the same meaning to all manufacturers and users. This Test Procedure is not intended to imply that all tests described herein are mandatory, but only that such tests as are carried out on completed devices should be performed in accordance with the procedures given. A companion document is "Test Procedure for Amplifiers and Preamplifiers for Semiconductor Radiation Detectors," IEEE Standards Publication No. 301.