This Electronic Chip Will Self Destruct in…
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A new chip built on strained glass can shatter within 10 seconds when remotely triggered. Such technology could prove tremendously useful for the U.S. military and corporations by keeping data secure and out of unwanted hands. The new chip was developed by Xerox PARC for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and went on display at a DARPA technology forum last week
Engineers fabricated the chip on Corning Gorilla Glass, the material used in the displays of many smartphones. But it’s a strained version of the glass that makes it susceptible to heat. A self destruct circuit triggered by laser light activates a resistor that heats the chip to the point of shattering into many tiny fragments.
A chip of this type represents a potentially big step forward for DARPA’s Vanishing Programmable Resources initiative. Future versions of the chip could use mechanical switches or radio signals as triggers for the self destruct mechanism.
The idea of self destructing electronics is suitable not only for the military or information security. On the health and medical side, John Rogers, a materials science professor at the University of Illinois, has developed a wide variety of biodegradable electronics and sensors that are compatible with both the human skin and body organs. Another field that could use this technology is that of electronic waste being dumped all across the developing world, which could now be reduced.
This technology could no doubt assist the military in stopping Israeli technology from reaching the hands of its enemies. Only last June it was reported that air force planes attacked in Lebanon in order to destroy a drone that crashed in its territory.
