Computer Chips Exploding for Science

Judebert writes "While some may argue that any modern processor without a heat sink already exhibits this behavior, UCSD chemists have discovered that properly doped computer chips are actually explosive. Standard techniques are used, and they function just like normal computer chips. Better yet, they burn clean, making them ideal for chemical analysis. The article sites other uses, such as micromachine propulsion and military explosives, but I imagine this woudl make for the ultimate in copy protection, as well: "Unauthorized copy detected. This system will self-destruct in 10... 9..." Science Daily also has a copy."

Comments

flying

[10e 999]

Great. Now we're going to have to comletely dismantle laptops, game boys, and talking Barney dolls before we are allowed to board flights.

Seriously, what are the possibilities of using this to cause life threatening explosions?

Re:Been there...

[tjb]

Heh. Done that before.

I had to remove a flash chip from a socket, but couldn't find the right tool, so I grabbed an 8 inch soldering pick (the kind that look like dentists tools) and proceeded to lift the flash. Unbeknownst to me, I bridged the tool to the unrectified (110V AC) power supply exposed at the switch of my dev board.

Zap! Flash! Bang!

Tossed my sorry ass about three feet backwards while the flash chip burst into flames and jumped about a foot into the air :) After recovering, I took a look at the chip and the packaging was completely gutted in the middle where (presumably) the (ex-)die was.

Oops :)

Tim

They already do that.

[El Camino SS]

I am a news photographer... one afternoon when a B-1 bomber went down in a Kentucky cow field, the plane exploded into tiny, tiny shreds. Thankfully, the pilot and the crew ejected and were unharmed. Unfortunately, several cows didn't make it.

One of the most interesting moments that followed in the media cavalcade happened a day later. A man drove out of the woods with a pickup and dropped off a large, man-sized bent piece of metal, which according to the DoD was the larest piece of the plane left. It was the heavy steel dash of the cockpit that holds the hundreds of tiny dials the pilots read. No dials, but a lot of steel.
...other than that, I looked for probably 45 minutes with a pair of binoculars at the impact point, and the largest piece I ever saw was a tire. The B-1 is one helluva big plane. It blows up automatically in a crash... no external signal necessary.

Trust me, the DoD does its homework when it comes to keeping its avionics secret.

I have no doubt in my mind that our plane that got captured in China revealed as little as possible to the Chinese Gov't. I realistically believe that they learned very little from taking that plane apart. They certainly didn't get any software to run the equipment, that is for sure. And the software is the real heart of any surveilance system.

In answer to making microchips explode, I would believe there are much better, more certain ways of destroying microprocessors and leave no readable trace.

Your idea has good merit for tiny processors or espionage equipment, that isn't practical for carrying its own destruct. Its also a great idea for sabotage.

Re:They already do that.

[Cato the Elder]

I know that one company I used to work for had a military contract and one of the items was to garuntee that the data containing parts of the system would be completely melted by X degress at temperature Y. I believe they did something like put thermite and a triggering unit in the case with it.

That, of course, does much more damage than just a chip explosion. I've only seen one exploded chip--the SCSI controller on an MVME2700 (Motorola) blew about a quarter of the area and half the depth out. I was kinda reassured when I looked at my own board and saw that it had a different model chip in that spot. I don't think it could have killed anyone put it certianly could have done some serious damage to an eye if you leaned over to plug the chassis in. (I wish I had the picture handy, put I don't)

Bummer. No More Termite

[Anonymous Coward]

Many years ago, we would use thermite "bombs" on top of the racks of sensative equipment> I was never in a hostile situation that required Emergancy Destruction, but I had buddies who had. I hear it was quite spectaculare when one would be set off. Anouther piece of tactical equipment had a mark to indicate where a .38 or larger caliber round could be shot to destroy all of the relevent circuitry. Shooting the equipment has got to be a lot more fun then sending a stupid code or flipping a swithch.