It's very unlikely that a small blowtorch would reach sufficient temperatures to really damage the silicon. Worst case you'd oxidise the surface a bit further. Do make sure you have a plastic and not a ceramic DIP. Ceramic won't burn, though the glue holding the parts together probably would.
For acid, nitric is certainly more versatile. Sulfuric has a reputation for burning very hard, but that's mostly for biological matter (it certainly damages humans quickly). Nitric usually is the better bet if you want to dissolve something. Or in some cases specialised mixtures like aqua regia.
Oh, and ventilate well. If concentrated nitric acid gets too warm or digests a lot of metal, it will form NO2, which is a nasty poison with effects (lung edema) that can be delayed for hours. Something to be careful with if you value your lungs.