Effect of heater geometry on the high temperature distribution on a MEMS micro-hotplate

Temperature uniformity on a micro-hotplate is important for gas sensor sensitivity, linearity, and resolution. There are several ways to create a uniform temperature distribution on a micro-hotplate. In this paper, the modification of microheater geometry is the method used. Four different heater geometries are simulated using ConvetorWare software to determine which geometry can give the most uniform temperature distribution. The simulations show that the heater geometry which combines parallel and meander shapes results in the most uniform heat distribution. The electrical potential and current distributions of the four different micro-heater geometries are also evaluated.