Low-Power Silicon-based Thermal Sensors and Actuators for Chemical Applications

In the Hot Silicon project low and ultra-low-power Si-based hot surface devices have been developed, i.e. thermal sensors and actuators, for application in catalytic gas micro sensors, micro- and nano- calorimeters. This work include several scientific and technological aspects: • Design and fabrication of suspended membrane ultra-low-power hot-surface Si-based thermal sensors and actuators; • Integration of the sensors and actuators into a micro flow channel, and investigation of the related microfluidic aspects, i.e. flow behavior and control, heat transport and transport of reactive species, • Investigation of potential applications in the field of micro calorimetric sensing, e.g. studying thermallyactivated physical and chemical processes on-a-chip, i.e. detection of reaction heats, adsorption/desorption kinetics.