Skip to main content
Super User

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

4
  • Do you know the mechanism by which the gates in a flash chip are destroyed?
    – James Womack
    Commented Jan 8, 2012 at 10:51
  • 1
    No, but I am thinking that is a pretty good follow-up question to the original. How do the electromagnetic waves turn into electrical arcs when meeting up with a metallic surfaces (like the surfaces of the gates). umm ??? because they are lots of energy to begin with???
    – Psycogeek
    Commented Jan 8, 2012 at 11:10
  • 2
    It has to do with electromagnetic (EM) waves effects on electrons. The EM waves make the electrons move according to its current polarity at any given place and time. When you have a spiky shape (like a wire, like logical gates), and that an EM wave affects its content of electrons, you can safely assume that, depending on the orientation of the waves (and probably many other things), at some point the wave will push a lot too many electron on the spike surface for it to be able to hold them all. At that point you have a jump of electrons from the spike to anything it can reach.
    – Joanis
    Commented Jan 8, 2012 at 12:13
  • 1
    OK, that was a messy explanation, but I hope you get the idea. When you have a huge (for the small material) forced release of electrons, you get some impressive electrical current going on and afterwards notice the damages on the material (memory doesn't work anymore because everything burned/melted inside).
    – Joanis
    Commented Jan 8, 2012 at 12:16