Invisible wrote:
> Here's a question for you: Why would an IC suddenly do this?

In addition to what everyone else said, there's the effect of "thermal 
runaway".  Every semiconductor has a tiny leakage current, caused by 
quantum effects, which is why devices use current even when not 
switching. There's more leakage when the device gets hotter, because 
there's more heat jiggling things around, basically. The more leakage, 
the more current, the more heat, the more leakage ....  >POP<

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     "That's pretty. Where's that?"
          "It's the Age of Channelwood."
     "We should go there on vacation some time."

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