ABSTRACT
Microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based devices with a thermally decoupled region are in wide use. The need for the micro hot-plate approach for sensor or actuator integration can have different motivations. The use of MEMS-based micro hot plates allows a further improvement in the modulation property of thermal emitters. Two important micro hot-plate devices, which strongly influenced the development in this field, are metal oxide gas sensors and thermal emitters for infrared gas spectrometers. The stress–strain behavior of micro hot plates operating at several hundred degrees Celsius can also be studied using finite element method analysis. The choice of materials for the heater and temperature sensor structures depends mainly on the compatibility with the temperature range, the bulk material used, and the fabrication processes. The thermal radiation of any matter can be referred to as blackbody radiation, which defines the maximum possible thermal radiation emitted by matter depending on its temperature.
