A transient electronic device including: a frangible glass substrate; one or more electronic elements disposed on the frangible glass substrate such that disaggregation of the frangible glass substrate causes disaggregation of the electronic elements; and a trigger mechanism comprising: a self-limiting resistive element consisting of a resistive material disposed over a localized region of said frangible glass substrate; and a switch element coupled to the self-limiting resistive element, wherein said self-limiting resistive element is configured such that: during a first time period after said switch element is actuated to initiate a trigger current from a power source through said self-limiting resistive element, heat generated by said self-limiting resistive element rapidly increases a localized temperature of said localized region from an initial temperature toward a first temperature level, and a current limiting portion of said self-limiting resistive element independently controls the flow of said trigger current such that said trigger current flow is terminated when said localized temperature of said localized region reaches said first temperature level, thereby causing said localized temperature to rapidly decrease from said first temperature level to a second temperature level, wherein said frangible glass substrate is configured such that a stress profile generated in said localized region by a thermal pulse comprising said rapid thermal increase and said rapid thermal decrease is sufficient to produce an initial fracture force in said localized region. a frangible glass substrate; one or more electronic elements disposed on the frangible glass substrate such that disaggregation of the frangible glass substrate causes disaggregation of the electronic elements; and a trigger mechanism comprising: a self-limiting resistive element consisting of a resistive material disposed over a localized region of said frangible glass substrate; and a switch element coupled to the self-limiting resistive element, a self-limiting resistive element consisting of a resistive material disposed over a localized region of said frangible glass substrate; and a switch element coupled to the self-limiting resistive element, wherein said self-limiting resistive element is configured such that: during a first time period after said switch element is actuated to initiate a trigger current from a power source through said self-limiting resistive element, heat generated by said self-limiting resistive element rapidly increases a localized temperature of said localized region from an initial temperature toward a first temperature level, and a current limiting portion of said self-limiting resistive element independently controls the flow of said trigger current such that said trigger current flow is terminated when said localized temperature of said localized region reaches said first temperature level, thereby causing said localized temperature to rapidly decrease from said first temperature level to a second temperature level, during a first time period after said switch element is actuated to initiate a trigger current from a power source through said self-limiting resistive element, heat generated by said self-limiting resistive element rapidly increases a localized temperature of said localized region from an initial temperature toward a first temperature level, and a current limiting portion of said self-limiting resistive element independently controls the flow of said trigger current such that said trigger current flow is terminated when said localized temperature of said localized region reaches said first temperature level, thereby causing said localized temperature to rapidly decrease from said first temperature level to a second temperature level, wherein said frangible glass substrate is configured such that a stress profile generated in said localized region by a thermal pulse comprising said rapid thermal increase and said rapid thermal decrease is sufficient to produce an initial fracture force in said localized region.