Most semiconductor devices are manufactured in several temperature grades. Broadly accepted grades are: • Commercial: • Industrial: • Military: Nevertheless, each manufacturer defines its own temperature grades, so designers must pay attention to
datasheet specifications. For example,
Maxim Integrated uses five temperature grades for its products: • Full Military: • Automotive: • AEC-Q100 Level 2: • Extended Industrial: • Industrial: The use of such grades ensures that a device is suitable for its application and will withstand the environmental conditions in which it is used. Normal operating temperature ranges are affected by several factors, such as the power dissipation of the device. These factors are used to define a "threshold temperature" of a device, i.e. its maximum normal operating temperature and a maximum operating temperature beyond which the device will no longer function. Between these two temperatures, the device will operate at a non-peak level. For instance, a
resistor may have a threshold temperature of and a maximum temperature of , between which it exhibits a thermal
derating. For electrical devices, the temperature of the
semiconductor in the device, known as
junction temperature, is affected by the ambient temperature, and for
integrated circuits is given by the equation T_\text{J} = T_\text{a} + P_\text{D} \times R_\text{ja}, in which
TJ is the junction temperature in °C,
Ta is the ambient temperature in °C,
PD is the power dissipation of the integrated circuit in
W, and
Rja is the junction to ambient
thermal resistance in °C/W. ==Aerospace and military==