Fabrication of Circular Heat Source Sensors for Thermal Characterization

对于许多行业来说，能够准确地测量用于各种设备的材料的热性能是很重要的。热管理是从发电机中的涡轮机运行到微电子芯片运行的过程中的一个主要问题。保温层有助于管理和控制热量，还可以节约能源(例如窗户上的薄膜涂层)。随着为这些和其他应用开发新的材料和涂层方法，需要可靠的方法来精确测量这些涂层的性能。虽然已经有成熟的方法来测量块状材料的性能，但涂层和薄膜仍然是一个挑战，主要是由于传感器的相对较大的热容量。 C-Therm Technlolgoies是一家加拿大公司，为各种工业和学术客户设计、制造和提供热分析设备。近年来，C-Therm与学术伙伴合作，设计了新的热容非常低的热传感器，用于表征薄膜。在拟议的项目中，艾伯塔大学的埃利亚斯研究小组将开发一种可靠且可重复的工艺来制造这些传感器。这一过程将使用阿尔伯塔大学纳米加工设施(NanoFab)提供的工具来实施。这些工具包括先进的薄膜沉积系统和光学光刻仪器。 在项目期间，学术界和产业界合作伙伴将定期会面，讨论进展情况。在A大学制造的器件将在C-Therm进行表征。这项研究的主要成果将是一种可用于制造C-Therm产品组合中的设备的工艺。

For many industries, it is important to be able to accurately measure the thermal properties of the materials used in various pieces of equipment. Heat management is a major issue in processes ranging from the operation of turbines in generators to the operation of microelectronic chips. Thermal coatings help to manage and control heat, and also to save energy (e.g. thin film coatings on windows). As new materials and coating methods are developed for these and other applications, reliable methods to precisely measure the properties of these coatings are needed. While there are well-established methods for measuring the properties of bulk materials, coatings and thin films remain a challenge mainly due to the relative large heat capacity of the sensor. C-Therm Technlolgoies is a Canadian company that designs, builds, and supplies thermal analysis equipment for a variety of industrial and academic customers. In recent years C-Therm, in collaboration with academic partners, has designed new thermal sensors with very low heat capacity for the characterization of thin films. In the proposed project, the Elias Research Group at the University of Alberta will develop a reliable and repeatable process to fabricate these sensors. This process will be implemented using the tools available at the University of Alberta Nanofabrication Facility (nanoFab). These tools include advanced thin film deposition systems, and optical lithography instruments. During the project, the academic and industrial partners will meet regularly to discuss progress. Devices fabricated at the U of A will be characterized at C-Therm. The main outcome of the research will be a process that can be used to fabricate devices that can be included in C-Therm's product portfolio.