Scientists Develop Emergency Device for Instant Erasure of Memory Chips at Russian Nuclear Center

Scientists from the All-Russian Federal Nuclear Center, specifically the All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (VNIIFE), which is part of the state corporation «Rosatom,» have developed a device for the emergency destruction of memory chips.

Details of the invention can be found on the website of the Russian Patent Office. According to the document, the device is designed to protect information from unauthorized access by destroying data storage media.

The device is mounted on the memory chip and consists of a sealed casing. Inside the casing, there is a charge made of pyrotechnic material and an initiator element. The initiator features conductive electrodes with a heating bridge.

When a signal is received, the bridge heats up, igniting the charge. This results in a substantial amount of gaseous combustion products, which cause the casing to rupture. Consequently, the memory chip is incinerated.

The description states that the device’s effectiveness has been experimentally validated. It successfully destroyed chips such as 1623PT1T, 1623PT2A, 1636PP4U, and MT29F128G08AJAAAWP-IT:A. The information is completely eradicated, while the electronic block housing the chip remains undamaged. The device operates within the confines of its casing, ensuring that the area of effect does not extend beyond it.