I don&#x27;t know, I was just presenting an alternative solution to the problem you were talking about. I imagine that the sides of the encasement would have to be pretty impermeable to keep oxygen out, but it&#x27;s probably harder if the oxygen-containing air is pushing in and nothing is pushing out.<p>Playing around with the chemistry more, it might be possible to use a gas that oxidizes more readily than silicon, so that if any oxygen <i>does</i> get in it will be neutralized before it gets anywhere near the silicon. I&#x27;m not sure if that&#x27;s possible to do with a gas, though.