ABSTRACT
Microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based devices with a thermally decoupled region are in wide use. Radiation detectors based on a temperature change due to absorbed light are a typical example for a device showing a low temperature change. Devices with an integrated heater element—micro hot-plates—form another family of these MEMS devices. Since the late 1980s, micro hot-plates have been investigated as substrates for metal-oxide gas sensors. The design process for micro hot-plates can be divided into a coarse and a fine design. The fine design process deals with the optimization of the distribution of the temperature field. The chapter introduces some basic information and design techniques for the development of micro hot-plates. The design of the heater element, the mounting in the housing, or, in the case of micro hot-plate devices, the substrate design itself have to be developed considering the heat transfer from the heated region to the ambient region.
