Exploding Microprocessors

Here at Tom's Hardware Guide, we're pretty familiar with chips that burn up , but until now I haven't heard of chips that actually explode. Over at EETimes.com , there's a story about just such a device and the interesting part is that the scientists that developed the thing actually think there could be potential applications for it. According to the story, researchers at the University of California in San Diego are making a silicon nanocrystal that has such a high surface area that it burns quickly. A researcher accidentally discovered the chips that give you more bang for your buck by substituting potassium nitrate with gadolinium nitrate while working with silicon wafers. The researchers think the exploding chips could be used for flame emission spectrometry or devices that gather and transmit information, then self-destruct.