Self-destructing chips seem to become a reality soon as Xerox PARC has collaborated with the USA's DARPA labs and have come up with a chip that self-destructs on command. As per Computer World, the main thing is the material used. It is comprised of Gorilla Glass, which is seen on smartphones.

This has mainly guaranteed that nobody will be able to piece it back together to read what was on it. For making the chip, the company used Corning’s Gorilla Glass but they modified it to make it tempered glass under extreme stress.

After this, they embed a small resistor at the bottom which on heating by a laser would cause the explosion in the glass. But, it did not stop there as they shards crumbled and break apart into tiny pieces. As a result they get a pile of dust at the bottom of the container.

This technology is likely to be applied to industries that need strict security, for example military. However we suppose it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that one day a similar technology could allow us to wipe our mobile devices or computers completely.