Microhotplate platforms for chemical sensor research

This paper describes the development and use of microdevices and microarrays in chemical sensor research. The surface-micromachined “microhotplate” structure common within the various platforms included here was originally designed for fabricating conductometric gas microsensor prototypes. Microhotplate elements include functionality for measuring and controlling temperature, and measuring the electrical properties of deposited films. As their name implies, they are particularly well-suited for examining temperature-dependent phenomena on a micro-scale, and their rapid heating/cooling characteristics has led to the development of low power sensors that can be operated in dynamic temperature programmed modes. Tens or hundreds of the microhotplates can be integrated within arrays that serve as platforms for efficiently producing processing/performance correlations for sensor materials. The microdevices also provide a basis for developing new types of sensing prototypes and can be used in investigations of proximity effects and surface transient phenomena.