An actively triggered transient electronic device (100, 1300, 1400) comprising: a substrate (102, 1302, 1402), wherein said substrate comprises silk or a silk composite material; one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404), one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406) or one or more inorganic semiconductor components and one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1404, 1406), supported by said substrate (102, 1302, 1402); wherein said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or said one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406) independently comprise a selectively transformable material, wherein said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or said one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406) have a preselected transience profile in response to an external or internal stimulus; an encapsulating material at least partially encapsulating one or more of said inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or one or more of said metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406), wherein said encapsulating material comprises a selectively removable material that is adapted to be at least partially removed in response to said external or internal stimulus to expose said inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406), wherein said encapsulating material comprises silk; and an actuator responsive to a user initiated external trigger signal and operably connected to said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or said one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406), wherein upon said device receiving said external trigger signal said actuator is adapted to at least partially remove said encapsulating material so as to expose at least a portion of said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) to said external or internal stimulus, thereby providing a programmable transformation of the actively triggered transient electronic device (100, 1300, 1400) in response to said external trigger signal, wherein said programmable transformation provides a change in function of the actively triggered transient electronic device (100, 1300, 1400) from a first condition to a second condition. a substrate (102, 1302, 1402), wherein said substrate comprises silk or a silk composite material; one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404), one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406) or one or more inorganic semiconductor components and one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1404, 1406), supported by said substrate (102, 1302, 1402); wherein said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or said one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406) independently comprise a selectively transformable material, wherein said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or said one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406) have a preselected transience profile in response to an external or internal stimulus; an encapsulating material at least partially encapsulating one or more of said inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or one or more of said metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406), wherein said encapsulating material comprises a selectively removable material that is adapted to be at least partially removed in response to said external or internal stimulus to expose said inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406), wherein said encapsulating material comprises silk; and an actuator responsive to a user initiated external trigger signal and operably connected to said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) or said one or more metallic conductor components (104, 1304, 1406), wherein upon said device receiving said external trigger signal said actuator is adapted to at least partially remove said encapsulating material so as to expose at least a portion of said one or more inorganic semiconductor components (104, 1304, 1404) to said external or internal stimulus, thereby providing a programmable transformation of the actively triggered transient electronic device (100, 1300, 1400) in response to said external trigger signal, wherein said programmable transformation provides a change in function of the actively triggered transient electronic device (100, 1300, 1400) from a first condition to a second condition.