The results of our previous study of dark‐spot defects (DSD’s) in aged 1.3‐&mgr;m InP/InGaAsP light‐emitting diodes (LED’s) have strongly suggested that the defects form as a result of the migration of gold from thepcontact into various epitaxial layers. To provide further support for this degradation mechanism, we compare, in this study, the formation of DSD’s in LED’s fabricated with the usual BeAupmetallization and a new platinumpcontact. After accelerated aging (200 °C junction temperature, 20 kA/cm2, 3×103h), DSD’s were observed only in the devices with BeAu contacts, thus directly identifying the active role of gold migration in DSD formation.