Experimental studies are presented in which reverse leakage currents in diffused silicon planar diodes are reduced by orders of magnitude via an intermediate temperature (800°–1000°C) gettering of metallic impurities which presumably cause excess leakage. Inorganic oxides having melting points below the gettering process temperature have been employed as the getters. Life test data on gettered diodes are also presented. The effectiveness of such gettering processes is further demonstrated by experiments in which radioactive copper is utilized as the diffused contaminant.