Hybrid integrated circuits are electronic devices in which one or more semiconductor chips, usually silicon chips, are connected to a bonding pad region of a circuit pattern on a ceramic substrate. (Semiconductor chips are also known as monolithic integrated circuits, or ICs, while hybrid integrated circuits are known as HICs). The semiconductor chips must be protected from the external environment and, for this reason, they are sometimes encapsulated by silicone resin gels. See, for example, the papers, "Electrical Performance and Reaction Kinetics of Silicone Gels," C. P. Wong, Journal of Material Research, Vol. 5, No. 4, April 1990, pp. 799-800, and "Understanding the Use of Silicone Gels for Non-Hermetic Plastic Packaging," C. P. Wong et al., IEEE Transactions on Components, Hybrids, and Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 2, No. 4, December 1989, pp. 421-425. Such gels are capable of withstanding extremes of temperature, humidity, and electrical bias but are somewhat susceptible to the effects of rough handling; that is, a gel may rip or tear if impacted by the corner of a rigid object.