Micro-hotplates for thermal characterisation of structural materials of MEMS

Accurate knowledge of mechanical and thermal properties of structural materials used in MEMS is essential for optimum geometric and functional design. The extraction of precise physical properties is rather complicated due to the size effects, the complexity of the structures and the variations of formation processes. This work is intended to determine the thermal properties of silicon-nitride and diamond layers applied in thermal sensor structures by analyzing thermal responses of a multilayer micro-heater structure.