Heat generation characteristics of microheaters prepared with ITO nanoparticles and organic additives

In this study, we demonstrate the heat generation characteristics of microheaters prepared with an ITO nanoparticle (NP) paste, which is a mixture of ITO NPs, polymethyl methacrylate, and terpineol. A comparison with microheaters prepared with ITO NPs only shows that the organic additives substantially enhance their heat generation characteristics. The maximal temperature obtained is 445 °C at a bias voltage of 12 V, which is three times higher than for the NP microheaters. Moreover, the NP-paste microheaters have better thermal stability and a more uniform heating zone. The enhancement in the heat generation characteristics results from the smoother surfaces and the higher density of the NP-paste films.