  Silicon detection is a mature technology for registering the passage of
charged particles. At the same time it continues to evolve toward increasing
radiation tolerance as well as precision and adaptability. For these reasons it
is likely to remain a critical element of detection systems associated with
extra-terrestrial exploration. Silicon sensor leakage current and depletion
voltage depend upon the integrated fluence received by the sensor, and upon its
thermal history during and after the irradiation process. For minimal
assumptions on shielding and hence on particle energy spectrum, and using
published data on Martian ground temperature, we predict the leakage current
density and the depletion voltage, as a function of time, of silicon sensors
deployed continuously on the Mars surface for a duration of up to 28
Earth-years, for several sensor geometries and a worst-case temperature
scenario.
